Heartlines
by lookingforthestars
Summary: Where does Scorpion go from here?
1. Cold

**I've been getting requests on my last few fics to extend them into multi-chapter stories. That wasn't really what I had in mind with them, but this one will be a few chapters. I'm not sure how long yet. I want to get into the aftermath of Waige reconciling—not just them making up, but how they try to fix things. I hope I can do it justice. I can really only manage relatively short chapters right now, but they'll probably be longer than this one at least.**

 **I also want to apologize for all my favorite writers (you know who you are) that I have not been leaving reviews for lately. Writing is just more therapeutic for now, but rest assured I'm still as much of a fan as I've always been.**

It was…clean.

Walter wasn't sure what he was expecting. He'd resisted filling out the blank slate in his mind, and in that respect, the Centipede offices squared up perfectly. They were nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows streaming in bright sunlight and shiny metal desktops covered in neatly-arranged sticky notes and brand-new monitors. The sterility was a far cry from the garage and Walter couldn't believe his chaotic former genius associates were capable of sustaining such an orderly workspace.

He would have been glad never to step foot in Centipede, if not for Ralph. Paige had begrudgingly asked him to keep her son at the garage an additional night when her team's flight back from Washington was delayed. Somehow he'd wound up agreeing to bring Ralph to the office and caving in to the young genius's pleas for help carrying his astronomy project up the stairs.

"Mom!" Walter snapped back to reality as Ralph embraced his mother, grimacing theatrically as she kissed his cheek.

"Hey, baby." Her warm smile seemed to dissipate the instant she looked up. "Hello, Walter."

"Hello," he said stiffly, reminding himself to take a breath. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her; he saw her often. That was an unavoidable side effect of maintaining a relationship with Ralph and competing over the same lucrative contracts. But each time was the same as the first, his nerves on painful edge as he choked out polite conversation. He could treat her like a stranger. It didn't mean he could make himself feel it. "I was just helping Ralph with his…"

"I've got it, thanks." Ralph shot his mentor a knowing look as he easily lifted the model out of Walter's hands and carried it into Paige's office. The genius found it curious that he didn't seem to struggle at all.

Paige cleared her throat, her voice taking on the same professional tone she used with clients. He'd always thought it sounded odd, almost fake. He supposed it was, in a way. "Thank you for taking care of him. I'll make sure his babysitter can pick him up in the future. I won't put you out again."

Walter pressed his lips together, insulted by the insinuation that he could ever view Ralph as a burden. "It wasn't a problem. I don't mind."

"Still. It's not fair of me to ask that of you." There was a time she hadn't hesitated to entrust him with her son. Then again, he supposed he was fortunate she hadn't removed the young genius from his life altogether.

 _Having Ralph makes me feel like at least everything hasn't gone to hell after—_

Walter swallowed his reply. If she wanted forced civility—and her purposeful lack of expression suggested she did—he would play along. It was probably a mistake that he'd ever attempted a deeper connection than this in the first place. "Ralph wants to come over Tuesday night. There's an event at the planetarium. Is that alright?"

"Sure. I'll drop him off after school," she said with a nod before turning around and walking away.

* * *

If Walter believed in such absurd philosophies as karma, he might be led to assume that he'd done something terrible that necessitated two trips to the Centipede offices in one day.

He'd kicked himself the second he returned to the garage and noticed Ralph's backpack sitting conveniently by the door. They were so preoccupied with his science project that his other belongings got lost in the shuffle. He still had a key to Paige's apartment, but it felt too invasive to let himself in if they weren't there and he couldn't very well leave it on their doorstep.

Walter braced himself as he punched in the code he'd watched Ralph enter earlier—Paige was lucky he wasn't the type of person to resort to corporate espionage—and waited for the security system to disarm before he stepped inside. Ralph would stop there in the morning before school. Just like he used to spend time with the team at the garage, what seemed like a century ago.

It was quieter than he anticipated. Nearly silent, actually. It was logical to assume that the geniuses had gone home shortly after their return to Los Angeles, but there was no sign of Ralph either. Perhaps the apartment _would_ have been a more efficient stop…

Walter's overactive thoughts silenced at the sound. He recognized it instinctively and his stomach plummeted even before he spied her at her desk, hands cradling her head. "P-Paige?"

She bolted up from her seat, keeping her back to him as she sniffed and wiped frantically at her face. "Jesus, Walter. What are you doing here?"

"I came to…Ralph…" He abandoned his halfhearted explanation and stepped forward, blurting out the question he could never beat around. "Why are you crying?"


	2. Too Late

**Thanks for your patience (and reviews)!**

"Why are you crying?"

 _Oh god, this can't be happening. Please tell me I'm hallucinating._

Hallucination or not, Paige was going to have to face him eventually. She sucked in a deep breath, smoothing out her shirt and clearing her eyes with half a ripped tissue before throwing it in the trash. She could handle this; it wasn't like he'd never seen her cry before. She just had to suck it up for two minutes, find out what he wanted and kick him out. "What are you doing here?" she asked more evenly, swallowing the rough edge in her voice.

"Uh…" He cleared his throat as Paige turned around to see him holding Ralph's backpack in one hand. But it didn't take a behavioral psychologist to realize that Walter wasn't interested in discussing the circumstances of her son's missing schoolwork. His eyes were firmly trained on her blotchy face and probably atrociously streaked makeup and she hated it, hated how raw and exposed she felt under his scrutiny.

"Walter, I'm busy," Paige snapped, taking three rushed strides toward him and grabbing the backpack out of his grasp. The brief brush of his hand against hers forced a jolt through her body and she suddenly felt like she might be sick. "Thank you. I'll make sure Ralph gets it. Good night."

Surely even someone as dense as Walter could understand that cue.

She dropped the bag next to her desk, wondering for a brief moment if Ralph had "forgotten" it the same way he allegedly struggled to carry his astronomy project by himself. Her plans for a thorough lecture about meddling were interrupted by the keen awareness that Walter wasn't moving.

"I don't understand. Am I supposed to pretend that y-you're not upset?"

He sounded confused and frustrated, and Paige acknowledged that ignoring her breakdown when they were together would've made her furious. But whatever cobbled-together-out-of-necessity relationship they had right now was a far cry from those days. "Well, I'm not your employee or your girlfriend. So yes. It has nothing to do with you."

The lie felt bitter on Paige's tongue the instant it left. She'd meant to say it was no longer any of his concern, which was true. But to claim that when she sat down at her desk, not even five minutes after the babysitter had picked up Ralph, and attempted to finish a proposal only to completely and utterly fall apart, that Walter was not responsible for some or all of it…that was too massive a denial, even for her.

Seeing him and Ralph again, the way they looked at each other…seeing him in the place she'd built with almost the sole purpose of excluding him, of competing against him…god, nothing felt right. She hadn't sorted through what she felt, yet, but it certainly wasn't satisfaction, not even the vindictive kind.

This was everything she wanted for herself. Everything she'd dreamed about while working grueling triple shifts at Nemo's. And then Walter walked in and blew that fantasy all to hell.

"Is this about Centipede?" the genius asked tentatively, snapping her out of her daze and instantly reigniting her anger. She welcomed it. It was more productive than regret.

"You would love that, wouldn't you?" she bit out sarcastically. "Watching us all flame out spectacularly without you? Centipede is doing fine, sorry to burst your bubble."

Walter set his jaw, his eyes narrowing as the uncertainty dropped from his face. "I don't want you to fail, Paige. Unlike you, I'm not that petty."

"Says the man who Photoshops his rivals out of pictures." Bringing up Tim was a low blow and she felt a mixture of triumph and guilt at the change in his expression. But she was so tired and he clearly wasn't going to leave until she made it impossible for him to stay. "I'm not your responsibility anymore, Walter. And I'm sure as hell not interested in your pity. Isn't there something better you could be doing with your time? Maybe going to some stupid lecture with Florence?"

Walter's head snapped up and Paige's eyes widened as she recognized almost immediately how big of a mistake her snipe was. She hadn't meant to bring the chemist into this, at least not explicitly. It would only open up the wounds all over again.

Not that hers had closed to begin with.

The genius was quiet for a moment, opening and shutting his mouth several times until he settled on a response. "Florence and I have no relationship outside of Scorpion 2.0. There was never…" He shook his head, looking down at his feet again. "It doesn't matter. I already told you that, and you refused to listen. But you're treating me like I torpedoed your company and ripped away half of your family so you'll excuse me if I'm confused as to why you're acting like I'm the villain."

She stared at him, searching his expression for some assurance that he was telling the truth. Paige wanted nothing more than to know for sure that he and Florence weren't doing all the things that haunted her thoughts when she let them wander. But he'd dreamt about her, kept her a secret, taken every opportunity to be around her. Their connection was too strong. How could Paige compete with that? Wasn't it better to get out early and concede defeat?

"I didn't torpedo your company," she said instead, desperate to course correct. "Scorpion 2.0 was winning plenty of contracts last time I checked."

But Walter, that stubborn jerk, didn't take the bait. "So that's it? You get to blow everything up and walk away and I'm the petty one because I want to defend myself? B-Because I want to talk about it? How is that fair?"

"It's been a month!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "You want to talk now? You sure weren't feeling that talkative when you were sneaking around with Florence. Or after I left, for that matter, because I didn't exactly see you running after me!"

He paused, realization slowly dawning on him, and Paige cursed herself for slipping again. "Was that what you expected?"

She didn't really want to answer. But she'd been pushing it all down for so long, pretending to everyone that she wasn't focusing on the past for a second, and it just spilled out horribly like it had the night she found the tickets. "I don't know. What does it matter now? You just let me leave and the next time I heard from you, it was about Ralph. So I was right. You'd already given up on us, I just made it official."

"That's not true," Walter rebutted. "E-Even if I could convince you that Florence was only a friend, you made it clear that our relationship was unsatisfactory. That you couldn't stand another second being around me. What purpose would chasing after you have served other than to facilitate further rejection?"

"To show that you gave a damn! Which I guess was too much to ask. God, Walter, I put everything into our relationship and you couldn't even make it a year—."

"I couldn't make it a year? Unless I'm remembering things incorrectly, and I think we both know I'm not, you were the one who got bored with me. My lectures, my hobbies, my eating habits—."

"Yeah, and what about you? What about every time I asked you to do something I cared about and you dismissed me? To hang out with _her_ , no less. What does that mean other than that I bored you?"

"I was never bored with you." Whatever argument was on Paige's tongue faded at the earnestness in Walter's voice. In his eyes. "I-I neglected my duties as a boyfriend. Obviously. But in four years I've never once felt bored or…or unsatisfied when I was with you. I can't force you to believe that, but it's a fact."

Paige pressed her lips together, trying and failing to stop her anger from dissipating. She needed the frustration, the humiliation, the heartbreak. Without it, she was just another stupid woman pining for a man she wasn't sure she could trust.

For a long minute—maybe more than one, she had no idea, though he probably knew exactly—they just stared at each other. When she didn't answer, Walter swallowed and nodded, dragging a hand over his face. "I'm sorry I made you miserable. I still am, apparently." He glanced between her and the door, his shoulders dropping as he exhaled. "You're right. I shouldn't have waited so long to say all this."

He turned to leave, not waiting for her response. It didn't make sense. All she'd wanted was to get rid of him and now, steps away from achieving that goal, she was one hundred percent sure watching him walk away after everything he'd just admitted would be impossible.

"Walter, wait."


	3. Find Me

**Thanks for being patient with these short chapters—it's about all I have the time/mental energy for usually, especially after writing and editing all day for work. But I promise, there's finally some payoff in this chapter. (Also, real talk, I went to upload this and I couldn't access the file, so after I was done having a heart attack it took me a while to recover it. Just know that this chapter could have been lost forever/until I stopped being lazy and rewrote it.)**

"Walter, wait."

Walter stiffened, his hand hovering over the door but not quite touching it. He could pretend he hadn't heard her, like she did—or maybe she really hadn't heard him?—when he tried to get her attention at the Gettleman pitch. He wasn't sure why he'd bothered. Nothing in her demeanor then had indicated that she wanted to talk to him.

But he had additional facts, now. If he'd had the slightest idea that attempting to win her back might be met with success, he sure as hell wouldn't have wasted time moping around the garage. And how could she have been so convinced that he was bored with her? Was he really so deficient at relationships that he hadn't properly relayed his feelings?

Just as he felt his resolve weakening, her harsh words made a triumphant resurgence. None of those additional facts changed the simple truth that she had been unhappy with him. With every single thing he thought she accepted, even loved. She'd secretly resented him for all of it.

"No," he said, the sharpness in his voice surprising them both. He saw it in her eyes as he turned partway to look at her. "I'm sorry I made you hate me. That was the last thing I wanted. B-But you left. It's over. There's no purpose in us continuing this argument."

He guessed this was the part where he was supposed to storm out. He couldn't be sure. That was typically Paige's area of expertise.

She stared at him for a long moment, her expression cryptic. And then, suddenly, it wasn't. Paige pressed her palm to her lips, lowering herself back into her chair as tears spilled onto her cheeks.

Walter dropped his hand from the door. There was no universe in which leaving a sobbing Paige would feel like a victory.

Her eyes slipped shut and she covered her face, muffling the soft noises she was making. The instinct to comfort her was still so overwhelming, but she'd nearly bit his head off when he attempted it earlier. Every time he thought he had figured out the proper EQ response, the rules changed. "Am I…am I still pretending, or…?" he ventured finally.

"No," she said quietly, taking a few deep breaths before she lifted her head. Her skin was flushed and her eyes were red and slightly puffy, but she seemed less concerned about hiding it. "You think I hate you?"

He wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Don't you?"

Paige went silent for another excruciating minute, focusing on a spot just to the left of him. "I want to," she admitted, still unwilling—or unable—to meet his eyes. "I want you to tell me that you're dating Florence and that you were bored and you were lying to me, because then I made the right choice and I can hate you."

Walter swallowed, unsure if she was expecting a response but deciding to err, this time, on the side of saying too much. "I can't tell you that."

She sighed. "Yeah. I didn't think so."

"If it means anything, at this point," he murmured, looking down, "I did lie, and I'm sorry for that. I was trying to…to s-spare your feelings. If I'd realized how much it would hurt you, I would never have gone to the lecture with her. And I should have realized."

Paige chewed at her bottom lip, nodding. "I kept telling myself that it was irrational to be jealous and I had to push it down. But it didn't go away. Maybe if I'd just been honest about it, things wouldn't have exploded."

"I wish you had." Walter took a small step forward, cautiously hopeful that they might be having their first genuine conversation in months. "A-About everything. If I'd known you were so unhappy…"

"Stop," she cut him off, shaking her head. Walter complied. He wasn't sure how he'd planned to end the sentence, anyway. _I would have changed?_ He would have attempted it, but perhaps there were some things he wasn't capable of giving her, no matter how hard he tried. "I don't want to predicate all this on the idea that I wasn't happy. Because if I was so miserable, Florence would have been a godsend. An easy out. It wouldn't have hurt and I wouldn't have…lashed out." Paige blinked, finally dragging her eyes up to his. "I asked if you were attracted to her in a way you couldn't be to me and you just…you didn't say anything, Walter."

For a genius, he certainly had a terrible track record of finding the words when it actually mattered. "I know. I-I'm sorry. You didn't give me enough time to explain."

"Well, I am now. Explain."

Walter hesitated, curling his fingers tightly into his palms. It was so much easier to express himself when Paige was encouraging him, a gentle hand on his arm or back as she smiled reassuringly. He didn't know how to handle it when she was the one expecting an answer that would very likely alter everything that came after.

"M-My friendship," he added extra emphasis to the word, "with Florence was, uh, it was easy. I didn't have to try. I was just myself, and that was…enjoyable." Paige didn't look pleased, but she was listening, which he supposed was progress. "So, I g-guess I connected with her in a different way. Yes. But you had it backwards. T-There are…were…many other aspects of our relationship that I could never have experienced with her or anyone else. My EQ…b-being a family with Ralph…the, uh, the physical…" God, he missed that part. He missed all of it. "Mental stimulation isn't hard to come by. Everything else only h-happens with you."

Paige ducked her head, wiping her face with her sleeve as she sniffed. "It was good for me, too. Most of it, anyway." A weight dropped from Walter's chest. If being together had been a positive experience for her, then their conversation wasn't futile. Everything wasn't lost yet. "Walter, I spent three years hiding my feelings because I was convinced that we couldn't make it work. For so many reasons. When you started cancelling our plans…and then Florence started hanging around more and more…I thought it was proof that we wouldn't work. And leaving you now seemed easier than when things were more serious."

He swallowed. Had she not been serious up to that point? Confessing his love to her was the most serious thing he'd ever done. He couldn't imagine that it meant so much less to her.

She must have picked up on his expression—or simply known where his mind would go—because she quickly added, "It was a stupid idea. This is already too serious. It was serious even before we said it out loud." Paige exhaled, twisting her hands together in her lap. "I'm sorry about that night. There's no excuse for destroying someone you love, even if you're angry. I just didn't want to fall apart like I did after Drew. I wanted to convince myself and everyone else that I was in control. I wasn't getting left again."

Walter's throat was impossibly tight, so much so that it might have concerned him if his mind wasn't otherwise occupied. He knew he wasn't Drew, he would never put her through that, but the fact that he made her feel that same abandonment, even momentarily, filled him with guilt. "I had no intention of leaving."

"I know. If you did, you probably wouldn't be here right now." She shrugged weakly. "I wish I could just trust you. I wish I didn't need you to keep proving yourself to me, but I don't know how to turn it off. My relationships keep failing and at this point maybe I expect them to."

They lapsed into silence once again and Walter suddenly felt awkward in his standing position. Now that he was no longer bracing himself for a blow, it seemed unnecessary. He took a chair from a desk—Toby's, unless Sylvester had developed a sudden interest in psychiatric disorders—and wheeled it across from her, making sure his knees didn't awkwardly bump hers as he sat.

"I-I'm willing to work harder. I can do that," he started tentatively, realizing he still wasn't sure if she was talking about the future or if all of this was firmly in the past. When she didn't answer, he decided to gamble on the former. "But only if you tell me when I'm failing. And not…not the way you did."

He could forgive her for that. He could forgive her for nearly anything. But he couldn't go through it again.

Paige nodded. "If you'll do the same for me. And if you promise to ignore everything I said and not lie to me anymore."

Gladly. Every lie he'd ever told, even with good intentions, only pushed him farther away from Paige. He could see that now. "Okay."

She scooted her chair closer on the wood floor, taking one of his hands in hers. "We're still the same people, Walter. We're going to have all the same issues and we have to figure out how to do everything differently. Are you sure that's what you want?"

Like he would turn down a second chance, in any form. "Unequivocally."

Paige smiled—it felt like a lifetime since he'd seen it—and leaned in, her other palm resting on his cheek as she kissed him. Gentle and brief. But enough.

"Okay," she breathed when they separated. "Where do we start?"


	4. The Awkward Truth

_I think you should talk to Ralph. Given his…meddling…I believe he would support this. But things won't immediately go back to normal. He should be able to ask any questions he may have._

Stupid EQ Walter, making her weak all over again with his concern for her son. As much as she'd wanted to keep him in Centipede's office all night long—and as much as his unsteady breathing had convinced her that if she made a move, he wouldn't push her away—he was smart to excuse himself with just another brief kiss goodnight. Taking things slow gave them a much better chance of succeeding this time. If they went too fast, if they argued, if she walked out again…it wasn't likely their reconciliation would survive.

Paige flipped through the keys on her ring and found the right one, unlocking the front door to her condo and stepping in. The apartment smelled like chicken parm and she suddenly realized she was starving. Sometimes she was convinced Ralph liked Christina's cooking better than hers.

"Mom?" Ralph was sitting on the couch, laptop balanced on one knee as he scribbled in a notebook on the other. He cocked his head. "I thought you weren't coming home until late."

"Yeah, uh…change of plans." She flashed a smile to the babysitter, who was busy cleaning up in the kitchen. "You can take off for the rest of the night. What do I owe you?"

Paige pulled a few bills out of her wallet to settle Christina's fee, giving her an extra five dollars since she was in an especially good mood. She set Ralph's backpack next to him on the couch and her own purse on the counter, both of them saying goodnight to the sitter before she took a seat next to him.

"Okay," Ralph said, moving his laptop to the table and giving her a skeptical look. "Why are you really home?"

Either her son's people-reading skills had finally reached Toby's level, or her markers were so obvious they might as well have been neon signs. "I need to talk to you about something," she admitted, twisting her hands in her lap.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No." She frowned at his quiet sigh of relief. "Should you be?"

He hesitated. "No?"

"We'll talk about that later." Paige took a breath, swallowing. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Perhaps it was because, despite her fervent hope that he would view the news positively, it was entirely possible that she was deluding herself and his reaction would be the exact opposite of what she was expecting. "Walter came by the office tonight. To drop off your backpack."

Ralph's face clouded. She'd avoided Walter's name ninety-nine percent of the time, but she conceded that in her more unflattering moments, her words about the genius had been less than kind. Still, Ralph hadn't brought the situation up at all after the first time she allowed Walter to take him for the day. "Am I not allowed to see him anymore?"

"No! No." Paige scooted closer, kicking herself for subjecting Ralph to even more uncertainty. Whatever had happened—or would happen—between her and Walter, she couldn't imagine a world in which he had absolutely no relationship with her son. "Sweetie, we made up. Walter and I are…well, I don't know if we're back together yet, but we decided to try again."

Ralph stared at her for a long second, as if he didn't quite believe her. "Really?"

She nodded, offering him a reassuring smile. "Yeah. Really. But we just…" Paige reached forward, squeezing Ralph's knee gently. "You're so important to both of us. And you've been through so much this past month. I want to make sure that you're okay with this before anything else happens."

He paused, chewing the inside of his cheek—she couldn't even tell if he'd picked that up from Walter, or if it was a habit they shared naturally—before shrugging and turning back to his notes. "Sure."

 _I only state facts._ Despite Walter and Ralph both insisting that on a regular basis, she'd learned that they were quite capable of lying if they thought it served the greater good. Or if it would protect her feelings. "You can talk to me, Ralph. I want to know how you're feeling."

He glanced at her briefly. "I said it's fine."

"Well, your face is giving me a different story. Please tell me the truth."

Ralph sighed, holding back for another moment as he gathered his thoughts. "I just want to know when this is going to be for the last time," he said quietly.

She counted to five in her head. He needed patience to open up, and that was something she'd clearly been lacking for a while. Her strained relationships with both Ralph and Walter were plenty proof of that. "I don't understand what that means."

"This isn't the first time we've left Scorpion," Ralph explained matter-of-factly. "We left after the sarin gas thing, after Walter fired you—."

"That wasn't my fault," she interjected, immediately chastising herself for interrupting.

"I know. But you could have told Walter the truth then. That you did love him. And you didn't. You just gave up and stormed out." They'd never really talked about that night. Paige supposed there were a lot of things they had never talked about. Open communication wasn't only a struggle for Walter. "This time was the worst. And every time you act like we don't need Walter, we'll be fine on our own. Then you go back and we pretend like nothing ever happened and I never get any say in it because you're the adults and I'm just a kid." The disdain in his voice suggested that he did not agree with that distinction. "So, yeah, I'm happy that you and Walter made up. I'm really happy. I'm really happy until the next time it falls apart."

Well, she had asked for his honesty. A knot formed in her stomach and the tears she thought she'd exhausted earlier pricked at her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Ralph. I always tried to do what I thought was best for you, but I know I haven't always. I made a lot of mistakes."

"It's okay. I know you were trying, mom." He pressed his lips together. "What are you going to do about Centipede?"

 _Centipede._ That was a bigger monster than she was prepared to deal with tonight. "I'm not sure yet. I guess it's something Walter and I and the team will have to figure out."

He nodded, an intense look of concentration on his face. Paige was always a little stunned by how fast he was growing, as parents usually were, but Ralph was different. With him, it sometimes seemed like he was finally growing into his brain. "Walter's still struggling," he said thoughtfully. "If you guys get back together, can you be more patient with him this time? You always are with me."

She hated that her son saw her as an impatient harpy. But he wasn't wrong. Paige knew her hands weren't clean in this. "That's because you're my son. I love you no matter what. It's what parents do."

"It's not what their parents did." Paige knew exactly what Ralph meant. She couldn't see any other way than to support Ralph, exactly the way he was, even when it was difficult. But the other geniuses had a very different experience growing up. "Walter didn't cheat on you, okay? He would never do anything to hurt you. I wish you could see that."

"I know. And I'm trying. I promise." She closed the distance, wrapping her arms around Ralph. He didn't fight, reluctantly—he was a teenager after all—leaning into the embrace. "I'll do everything in my power to make this the last time."


	5. Hiccups

**I've been trying to write this chapter forever but kept getting interrupted by Real Life. Tbh I'm afraid that by the time I finish this story no one will be reading anymore, but you guys are still reading now, so I'm going to keep writing.**

"It feels strange. Being here."

Paige sighed, resting her chin on his shoulder. There was something _off_ about Walter standing in the middle of the stark Centipede offices. But she couldn't deny that being held by him, his arms tight around her as they said a lingering goodbye, Paige felt more at peace than she had in a while. "I'll tell the team today. And then we can decide what to do with the company."

It wasn't a decision she knew how to make. She'd already sunk so much time and money into making Centipede a success, or at least a viable employment option for the other geniuses. But even if some of the hurt was still there, the anger wasn't, and Paige knew her heart wouldn't stay in running the company for long. She already found herself missing the garage. Missing all the nights they spent there and the memories it held of a rare happy period in her life.

"What if they don't want to return to Scorpion?"

Paige leaned back to look at Walter, linking her fingers together behind his neck. "I don't know," she admitted quietly, stroking his skin with her thumb. "We've tried not to talk about what happened. Honestly, I'm not even sure what I want yet. I just know that I thought I could be happy doing everything on my own and I'm not."

They'd agreed to try a casual date. Seven a.m. at a halfway-decent diner two blocks away. She supposed they hadn't been apart long enough that they needed to start all over, but picking up right where they left off was too overwhelming. She needed time to wrap her brain around all of it. To make sure they wouldn't just run headfirst into the same brick wall if they tried again.

But breakfast had been nice. Really nice. She told him about Ralph's concerns, and her own. There were more apologies and some hand-holding. When he offered to walk her back up to the suite, she'd agreed immediately, not ready for the morning to end just yet.

Walter frowned, tilting his head down to look at her. "I…I want to be able to talk about things openly."

That was a roundabout way of saying _I want to ask you something but I don't know how._ "Me too, Walter."

"Okay." He hesitated for a second. "W-Why did you start Centipede?"

He was trying to sound neutral, curious. But her company wasn't just competition—it was a figurative _go to hell_ to him and everything he'd worked his whole life for. There was absolutely no way not to take its existence personally. "I think…" She pressed her lips together, wishing she had a more logical answer than the one that presented itself. "I think I wanted to prove my success wasn't just from you. That I wouldn't fall right back into being a struggling waitress if you weren't signing my checks."

"I never thought of it that way. Perhaps I didn't express it adequately, but I considered everyone a crucial and equal member of the team. Including you."

Paige nodded, toying nervously with the collar of his shirt. "There were so many times on cases that I didn't understand what we were doing. I just followed along with whatever you or Happy or Sylvester told me and it worked out. And I know you knew I wasn't a genius when you hired me, but trust me, it is very hard to feel equal under those circumstances. So I guess I figured if it was my company, I would be in charge of everything and that would put me on the same footing as the rest of the team."

"That's absurd." Her eyes flew up to him and Walter winced, clearly aware by her expression that he'd misspoken. "No, I meant…Scorpion was failing when I hired you. Even if you didn't understand the science of every mission, you were already running the company, in a sense. You were doing what I couldn't. H-Holding the team together."

A pang of guilt raced through her at his earnestness. The reality was that she would never have had the confidence to start her own company if it hadn't been for him. All of her reasons for leaving and launching Centipede made perfect sense to her at the time, but she didn't know how, because none of them seemed significant anymore. "There are things I like about Centipede. Things that work," she said honestly. "If we come back to Scorpion, I don't think everything can be exactly like it was before. But…" Paige swallowed as she heard her voice start to waver. "But it all feels kind of empty. Like working for Elia. Maybe being successful won't be the same if we aren't doing it together."

"Scorpion 2.0 has been far less fulfilling without you as well." Walter bit the inside of his cheek, his fingers curling and releasing on her hips. "I-I would like for the team to reunite. Please make that clear to them. But I'm aware that it's not exclusively my decision. So whatever you choose, I'll respect that."

He was trying to prove her wrong. Grow beyond the emotionally stunted teenager she had accused him of being. If she'd just heard him out that night, given herself time to cool down and let him explain, there would be no _Scorpion 2.0_ or _Centipede_ to be torn between. "It's not just our decision, either. You're assuming Cabe ever wants to see me again after the stunt I pulled."

Walter cocked his head. "Cabe views you as a daughter as much as he views me as a son. He stayed because he wasn't willing to fracture our relationship. That doesn't mean he harbors animosity toward you or anyone else in Centipede."

"We'll see," she said, releasing a shaky breath as she realized how painful it would be if Cabe _couldn't_ forgive her. He was the closest thing she'd had to a father in decades and the only reason she hadn't tried to poach him for Centipede was the knowledge that he would rather die than betray Walter again. "And then there's…"

"Florence."

"Yeah."

Walter shifted back slightly, keeping his hands on her waist as if he needed to reassure her through whatever he planned to say next. "I told you that nothing occurred between us. I've never had romantic feelings toward her. But…"

"But she's your friend and you don't want to kick her out because of me," she finished, knowing where he was going before he'd even started speaking. Walter gave misunderstood nerds a home. Florence wasn't going to be the exception to that. "Right?"

He looked simultaneously panicked and relieved that she had saved him from an awkward defense. Paige felt jealousy flare up in her chest again and she bit down hard on her lip. If he'd wanted more than friendship with the chemist, he had ample opportunity to act without guilt. _But he didn't. He's here with you. He chose you._

"I don't want anything to jeopardize this, Paige."

 _He chose you. He chose you. This will never work if you don't believe that._ She shook her head, trying to clear the incessant clamor in her head. "Can we just start with no more clandestine non-dates, please?"

"Yes. Yes. I can do that."

"Then I think I can live with it. And I'll tell you if I can't instead of pretending that I can."

"That sounds…logical."

"Good." There was so, so much to figure out. The choices facing her were overwhelming and she was terrified of making the wrong ones. But she'd already turned down a lot of wrong roads, and somehow they all kept leading her right back to Walter. "Whatever everyone else decides, it doesn't have to change what's happening between you and me. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, his muscles relaxing under her fingers. Paige leaned forward, clutching his collar as their lips met. He acted with a little less confidence now—he didn't instinctively deepen the kiss or let his hands roam freely—but the spark was there, the butterflies in her stomach that assured her she still craved him and made her hope to god that she was the only one he wanted to do this with.

She melted against him, everything fading away as his hands ran tentatively along her back. Paige had always enjoyed kissing, but she couldn't remember ever losing herself in anyone like she did when Walter O'Brien was touching her. Everything seemed to click into place like they'd never been separated and if they were anywhere else, she would…

"You've got to be kidding me."

They jumped apart at the voice, turning just in time to see the door slam behind Sylvester. Walter immediately started to follow the mathematician, but Paige put a hand on his chest, stopping him. "Let me talk to him."

The genius hesitated before he eased back, nodding. She didn't have to outline the wisdom of her suggestion. Her relationship with Sylvester was far less fraught than his, and maybe if Sly could see that she had genuinely forgiven Walter despite their problems, he'd be more inclined to follow.

He was moving fast, but Paige caught up with him just a few feet outside the building, falling into step beside him. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you."

"I can't believe you're back together," he snapped, mercifully starting to slow down. Paige was in pretty good shape, but she couldn't liaise and run a marathon at the same time. "After what he did?"

Paige pulled in another breath. The internal voice questioning whether she was being naïve all over again was now external, and it sounded angry. "I'm still upset too. But he swears that he never had feelings for Florence and I'm choosing to believe that, because I want to fix things between us. Between all of us." She stopped, tugging on Sylvester's arm and breathing a sigh of relief when he acquiesced. "I'm not asking you to wipe the slate clean. Just…maybe…talk to him. He's your brother, Sly."

Sylvester's expression crumbled slightly. Maybe that was manipulative, but it wasn't untrue. "Do you really believe him?" he asked after a moment. "About everything?"

"I believe him as much as I can right now. Hopefully one day that belief will be bulletproof, but for now…it's a leap of faith."

"B-But how can he not have feelings for Florence? She's so..." He crossed his arms over his chest. "S-Smart. And beautiful. And funny. She's amazing."

A month hadn't diminished his affection at all. It made Paige hurt, because she didn't know if Florence would ever return his feelings. But she had hope, too, because if Florence did feel the same about him, they could create something beautiful. "Do you have feelings for me?"

Sylvester looked up, startled. "N-No. What?"

"Walter does." She watched his face closely, pinpointing the exact second that realization dawned on him. "You're not in love with Happy, but Toby is. Yes, Walter has a lot in common with Florence, and I would be lying if I said that won't always be hard for me. But just because she's everything to you doesn't mean Walter knew about or encouraged her feelings, or had any of his own."

He shrugged. "Even if he didn't. She chose him. It doesn't matter, does it?"

"How do you know if you won't answer her calls?" Sylvester blushed bright red and Paige wondered why he thought he could keep any personal secrets from the team's prying eyes. "I can't tell you what to do. But now that Walter and I are…whatever we are, things are probably going to change. I'll keep everything stable as much as I can."

"But Centipede won't last forever. Not with _him_ back in the picture."

"I don't know. Sly, I don't know anything yet except that I care about you and if you don't want to go back to Scorpion, I'll help you figure something else out. Always."

The last of the anger appeared to drain from his body and his shoulders slumped. A lump formed in Paige's throat as he started to toy with the frayed edges on the bandage around his finger. "M-Maybe Florence was a mistake. Maybe I was only supposed to have one shot."

She didn't want to say that Sylvester was wrong. Paige couldn't tell him what was in his future any more than she could predict her own. But she had to believe in second chances. For a long time, after Drew, she'd convinced herself that there would never be anyone else. If that had been true…

Paige stepped closer, taking Sylvester's hand in hers. "Megan was special. What you had with her was special. No one would argue that," she assured him. "But look at Toby. And Cabe. They never thought they would find anyone else, but they did. They found people who love them so much, and it doesn't diminish what they had before. It's just different."

He didn't say anything. He just squeezed her hand.


	6. Across the Aisle

**Thank y'all for your sweet reviews, you're the best!**

 _Went out the back. I don't think Sylvester is ready to see me. It's okay. Call you later._

Paige sighed, closing out of Walter's text and sliding her phone back into her pocket. She'd thought if anyone would rush to forgive Walter, it would be the bravest and kindest among them. But Sylvester had been burned badly—worse than her, maybe, because the person he loved actually did have feelings for someone else. Sly's anger renewed her nagging fear that she was letting herself be snowed by forgiving Walter so quickly, that she was missing something everyone around her could see. But it was too late to go back now, and she didn't want to.

She had to trust Walter completely, or not at all. Wavering would only destroy their relationship again.

Paige swung open the door to the Centipede offices, Sylvester trailing silently behind her. She didn't want to push him. It had seemed easy: she dragged the team away from Scorpion, she could just say the word and bring them back. She was less certain about that now.

Toby was standing in front of his desk, arms crossed over his chest and a knowing smirk on his face. Happy's expression wasn't far off, one eyebrow raised while her hands rested on a rolling chair. "So, you and Walt, huh?" she said first, ignoring Toby's look of mock offense that she'd stolen his moment.

Paige narrowed her eyes. "How did you…"

"We saw Loverboy in the parking lot," Toby explained hastily, trying to beat his wife to the punch. "And since he didn't slam his car door, we figured you two were, you know…" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Again."

Well, she had been planning to tell them. They'd just saved her the awkward introduction. "Fine. Yes. Walter and I are back together. We went out for breakfast this morning," she said emphatically, lest Sylvester have a heart attack at the thought of them _you knowing_ on the office furniture. "As much as I don't enjoy sharing my personal life with all of you, this affects Centipede. So we should talk."

"Cool," Happy muttered. "So is this the real deal, or are we just pretending nothing bad happened until you guys blow up at each other again?"

Paige wished that wasn't such an accurate representation of most of their relationship. "It's different this time. We've talked about everything. I'm not saying we have it all figured out, but…" _But we both miss our family. Even if it's not perfect._ "Walter wants all of us to come back to Scorpion. He asked me to tell you that specifically. But it has to be a unanimous decision. I pulled you all into this, I'm not just going to abandon you now."

Toby tipped his head toward his wife. "I go where she goes."

Happy shrugged. "Depends. Is Walter going to stop being a stubborn ass and listen to us once in a while?"

"I don't know. I mean, I hope. But I think he understands where he went wrong." She certainly did. "This isn't a choice I take lightly. We all have a financial stake in Centipede. We've got jobs lined up for three months. Rejoining Scorpion would mean forfeiting anything we can't take over. And I don't know what Walter will offer you in terms of partnership."

"But you want to go back," Sylvester said quietly, breaking his silence for the first time.

Paige wanted to go back to the night it happened. Back to the night of that stupid lecture, even. But she couldn't change the past, only muddle though the present as best as she could. "Yes," she answered, remembering how she'd just told Walter she didn't know what she wanted, but realizing that she was wrong. "It would be the best thing for Ralph. And I miss doing jobs that actually mean something."

"Me too," Sly admitted, looking down at his feet for a long minute. "Although I am a fan of not almost dying regularly."

Happy cracked a small smile. "I kinda miss that part."

"I hate seeing you in danger, but watching you get out of it is the sexiest thing in the world. Oof," Toby gasped as the mechanic elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Paige asked the couple, who shared a quick glance before nodding. The relief she felt was so palpable that she was convinced this was exactly what she wanted. The six of them together, fighting and celebrating and saving the world.

Well, seven, with Florence. But that was a problem for another day.

They were one vote short. _Together, or not at all._ "Sly?"

* * *

"You know what I'm going to say, kid." Cabe leaned back in his chair, bending his knee to rest one leg on top of the other. "If you and Paige are good, there's always a place here for them."

"We're working on it, but I think…" Walter trailed off, glancing over at Florence, whose eyes were firmly fixed on her clasped hands. She was clearly uncomfortable, it was glaring enough that even _he_ could see it, but he wasn't sure whether it was because he and Paige were back together or because they were discussing the team's possible reunification. They'd only had one brief conversation about her feelings, the obligatory _nothing can happen_ and her insistence that _nothing will_ and from then on everything had been settled, from his perspective at least, but maybe not from hers. "Florence?"

The chemist swallowed, shifting in her seat. "Scorpion should be together. You never should have broken apart," she said evenly. "But I don't think that can happen with me here."

Walter was so surprised by her response that it took him several seconds longer than usual to respond. "I-I don't understand. Paige and I agreed that—."

"Paige agreed to that for you. She doesn't trust me, and I don't blame her. But what if she can't trust me on a mission and it puts her in danger?" Florence pressed her lips together, genuine concern in her eyes that only made Walter chastise himself more for being so oblivious. She'd deserved better than his unwitting attention. His stupid mistake and Scorpion's resulting fracture had cost her the beginnings of her family, too. "And that's not even…Sylvester won't talk to me. Okay? He probably hates me. He'll never come back to the team if I'm here."

"Hey, that's not true," Cabe assured her, patting her knee gently. "Sylvester's not capable of hating anyone, especially not you. He's just…he's embarrassed. He's not ready to face you yet. You were really special to him."

Florence took in a deep breath, nodding. "You were kind enough to accept me even when I was rude to you, and I ruined everything. I-I have my own career. I'll be okay. My leaving is the best decision."

Cabe looked at him, and Walter grew flustered, having no idea what response to attempt. "I-It's your decision. Of course." She wasn't incorrect. And he had to be more considerate of Paige's insecurities if he didn't want the same issues to come between them again. "Let's not go for the nuclear option yet. If Centipede even decides to return—they may not—we'll do our best to make the situation work. We can always reassess later."

Watching her walk out wouldn't leave the same gaping hole in his chest as Paige's departure. But sacrificing Florence to make his own path to redemption easier seemed wrong somehow. And he wanted Paige to realize that his emotional response to Florence did not depend on her proximity. Her presence on the team would never change the fact that Paige was his soulmate.

Plus—though he hadn't had the opportunity to say as much—he genuinely did hope that Sylvester might get another chance with Florence. No one else would have treated Megan better. Any woman would be fortunate to find themselves in a relationship with his brother.

Florence offered a tight-lipped smile, seeming mollified. "That sounds like a good idea."

Walter jumped slightly at the sound of the door, assuming it would be Allie and feeling his breath hitch when it decidedly wasn't. "Paige? W-What are you doing here?"

"Ripping off the Band-Aid," she said, stepping further into the garage so the rest of Centipede could filter in next to her. "Is Scorpion still hiring three geniuses and a liaison?"


	7. More Time

**Thanks again for the reviews. I really appreciate your continued support for this story. I have a lot more to go – more Waige, more conversations among the team, more angst and fluff and everything else. There's a lot to fix, but the more I write for this story, the more it's overtaking canon in my head, and that's what I need. I hope it's even partially as helpful for you guys.**

 _"Is Scorpion still hiring three geniuses and a liaison?"_

Walter didn't realize he hadn't responded until Happy frowned and snapped, "The waitress said you wanted us back?"

"Y-Yes. Yes. I just…" He cleared his throat, trying to pull himself together. This wasn't a moment he had the luxury of messing up. Walter took a few steps toward them, keeping his focus on Paige, who gave him an encouraging nod. "I wasn't expecting you to reach a decision so quickly."

"Yeah, well, we're nothing if not impulsive and reckless," Happy said with a shrug. "Before all of you get sappy, we have terms."

"Oh." He supposed that wasn't a surprise. Paige had said there were aspects of Centipede that would improve Scorpion, and he wasn't too proud to at least hear them out. "O-Of course. Proceed."

"Seven percent of Scorpion each. Not enough to run it, just enough to get a say in cases and investments. You'll still have the controlling share. All we want is a vote."

Happy was only speaking for her and Toby, as far as he knew, but if all of them wanted an equal share, that was forty-two percent of the company in their hands. That was a big decision.

But he didn't need nearly as much time to think about it as he expected. He'd had a hundred percent of Scorpion 2.0 and it wasn't enough. If this was what it took…

"Just so you know," Toby chimed in before he could formulate a reply. "Those terms are for coming back to Scorpion. Not for being friends again. That's already part of the package. We were putzes for walking out."

"I appreciate that," Walter said with a grin, any remaining doubt dissipating instantly. "But the answer is yes. I agree to your terms. And I promise that things will be different if you come back."

Happy shook her head, smirking. "We've been ready to come back. You just didn't ask." She closed the distance, pulling Walter into a split-second hug and bumping his shoulder as she walked past him. Toby held his palm out for a handshake that lead into a hug, and Walter heard Cabe's _man, I missed you guys_ as the couple walked over to greet him.

Sylvester came to a hesitant stop in front of the genius, looking almost as anxious as he had years earlier when Walter found him in that dingy hotel room. "This doesn't mean everything is okay."

Walter swallowed, nodding. He'd hoped for a warmer welcome, of course, but it was naïve to think that his brother's attitude toward him had drastically changed since that morning. "I understand. And I'm sorry, Sly. I'm not entirely sure what to say other than that I never meant to—."

"I know. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. But you did." Sylvester shifted uncomfortably, blowing out a heavy breath. "And I'm aware that some of that is my fault. I think…Megan was the first person I ever cared about that way. And everything fell into place with her. She loved me back. She married me. We didn't have a lot of time and everything was different because of that. Maybe I expected this time to be the same, and I wasn't prepared for another outcome."

Walter wasn't sure what to say to that. Megan had been special in every way, and nothing would ever be the same without her.

"Florence has offered to leave," he said instead, seeking safety, as he always did, in facts. "I assured her that wasn't necessary, but perhaps that's a conversation you should have with her."

Sylvester nodded. "I will need more time," he said after a pause. "To adjust. But as far as Scorpion goes, I am happy to be back."

That was enough for now. "I'm happy you're back too."

The mathematician circled around him, making a beeline toward Cabe. Paige stepped forward, sliding her hands around Walter's waist and linking them behind his back as he did the same to her. "He'll be okay. I think he's just scared to be around Florence again, mostly." She pressed her lips together. "Did she really offer to leave?"

"Yes. For your benefit as well as Sylvester's. Are you still confident in your decision to keep her on?"

"Not at all," Paige admitted. "But if nothing happened while I was out of the picture, it seems unlikely that something will now."

He tipped his head down to look at her. "I wish there was something I could say to make you stop worrying. I have no interest in being involved with anyone but you."

Paige offered him a weak smile. "I believe you. Just be honest with me, and we'll make it work."

"Deal." He wanted to kiss her the way he had that morning, but it seemed inappropriate with the entire team around them, so he settled for briefly touching his lips to hers. "And thank you. For convincing the team to return. I know that couldn't have been easy."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I won't lie, it hurts my pride. A lot. But running a company was never my dream, it was yours. And Scorpion means a lot to me too. So I'm all in."

"As am I."

"Good." Paige smiled again, more genuinely this time. "We've got a lot of business to handle. Dinner tomorrow night?"

* * *

"Sylvester, can we please talk?"

He stiffened. Florence had effectively cornered him in the kitchen, but she wasn't sure what else to do. He'd been ignoring her calls for weeks, and even now, in the same building, it was clear that he had no intention of approaching her.

"Or…you don't have to talk, if you don't want to," she said, his lack of response crushing her already low confidence. "Sylvester, I'm so sorry. I honestly didn't know. And if I…strung you along, or hurt you, I'm sorry. You were a good friend to me and that was not my intention."

 _I was wrong to think I had feelings for Walter. I love you too._ Everything would be so easy if she could just say that and mean it. But she had no idea if what she felt toward Sylvester was love. It wasn't the same adrenaline rush she'd felt when she saw Walter, although those feelings dwindled quickly when she realized that he was capable of loving one person and only that person. All she knew was that seeing Sylvester so quiet and unsettled around her caused an ache deep in her chest.

"I don't have to work on cases with Scorpion," Florence continued quietly. He'd opened a bottle of water just before she walked in, but although Sylvester seemed to be staring intently at it, he hadn't taken a sip. "If it would be…easier…with me not around, I will continue independently with my own chemistry projects. I could just consult when necessary." She paused. Nothing. She took a deep breath. "But if I do stay, I really hope we can be friends again. I can't handle it just being like…like this."

She'd never minded silence. It was conducive to productivity. But Sylvester's silence was absolutely excruciating, and Florence suddenly understood what Walter meant when he would complain, half-jokingly, that Paige and Ralph had made him more human and ruined him.

"Sylvester?"

"Stay," he finally said, so flatly he barely sounded like the person she remembered. "I'll have to get over you eventually."

He picked up his water and walked past her, leaving her alone in the kitchen.


	8. Pact

**The most common theme in comments seems to be "why is Sylvester still mad?" Long answer is I think it fits with his (out of character but canon nonetheless) attitude in the finale. Short answer is that I'll have him and Walter hash it out soon. But first enjoy some Waige + Ralph.**

"You haven't had sex."

Paige choked on a bite of her pasta. In her peripheral vision, she could see Walter turning redder than the tomato sauce. "Excuse me?"

Ralph bent his elbows on the table, his dinner temporarily forgotten. They'd lapsed into a period of long but comfortable silence as they ate, content to be together again, until her son shattered the quiet with _that._ "If it had happened the night you made up, Walter would be staying over by now," he explained evenly. "But he's not. And we didn't bring our overnight bags to the garage tonight, so logically you didn't plan to stay here."

She dropped her fork into the bowl, wiping her lips quickly with her napkin. "That's not something I'm comfortable discussing with you, Ralph. Not…in this particular case, at least."

It was foolish to avoid having "the talk" with him altogether—she'd had her share of mishaps as a cautionary tale—but getting into specifics about her own sex life didn't need to be part of the deal.

"Sorry," he said in a tone that made it clear he was in no way apologetic. "I'm just trying to calculate how long your reunion will last. I did research on contributing factors."

She and Walter shared a concerned glance. Ralph hadn't exactly been shy about telling her that he doubted this time would be different. Paige wanted to swear that it would, but it had only been a few days. Not nearly long enough to say they were on solid ground yet.

Walter cleared his throat, mercifully opting to speak first. "Ralph, I want this to work just as much as you do. Uncertainty is difficult for geniuses. I would like to be able to give you certainty." His hand slipped into hers under the table, and Paige squeezed it, grateful that their little gesture of reassurance still held meaning for him too. "All I can say is that I care about both of you and I'm going to work hard to make this successful. And regardless of the outcome, I will always be in your life if you want me to be."

Paige drew in a surreptitious breath, his words making her chest tighten. Yes, he'd made mistakes, but she had too. Giving this up had been a mistake. There was something about the three of them together that felt real and calming and like a _family_ , and it had to be Walter specifically, because it never felt like that when Tim came over for dinner.

She knew Ralph felt the same by the look on his face. "I missed this," he admitted. "I know you can't stay together for me, that never works out, but I hate it when you're not together."

"I hate it too," Paige said, her voice giving out, and she smiled at Walter when he squeezed her hand again. "We're gonna be alright, okay? We're gonna figure this out. And you should keep being honest with us about how you feel. We could all use more honesty."

Walter nodded. "I second that."

* * *

"This is nice," Paige sighed, her eyes fluttering shut as Walter started to stroke her back lightly with his fingers. Her head was already buried in his neck, her legs tangled with his, and it still felt like she couldn't get enough contact. She'd loved Walter even when he struggled to process touch, but she was immensely grateful that he had learned to accept hers, because she was a very physical person and she couldn't imagine not connecting with him like this.

"Are you tired? Do you want me to drive you home?"

"No, I'm okay." She was a little worn out—more from their exhaustive discussion about merging Scorpion and Centipede's caseloads and equipment than anything else—but not enough to move from this position. Ralph was already asleep downstairs, so there was no rush to move him when he didn't have to wake up for anything particular in the morning.

She had considered bringing her overnight bag. But she didn't want to be presumptuous. They both had to be ready, and he hadn't broached the subject yet.

There was an extended silence before Walter said, "I don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"How you thought I didn't want this," he murmured into her hair. "You and Ralph."

Paige pulled back slightly, crooking her elbow on the couch so she could rest her head in her hand. It wasn't rhetorical. With Walter, nothing ever was. "I have…a lot of insecurities."

"From Drew," he said. "I know."

"Not just from Drew." She didn't know that they'd ever talked about this. Honestly, there were so many things they had brushed out of sight and out of mind when they were together. Maybe that had been part of the problem. "Please know that I'm not blaming you when I say this. But a lot of my insecurities are from you too."

"How so?"

She took his hand again, brushing his thumb with hers as she laid them on her lap. "I've loved you for a long time," she said quietly, looking back up at him. "We would get close, and you would back away every time. I always ended up wondering if it was just wishful thinking that you wanted me at all." Paige trapped her lip between her teeth, trying to steady her nerves, because how could either of them do better if they didn't understand what went wrong to begin with? "So when the cracks started to show with Florence, I guess…I wondered if you _had_ to be with me, or if it was just fun to you. An experiment. I know that was stupid and a terrible thing to say. But you slipped through my fingers a few times. I was scared it was happening again."

Walter blew out a breath, pausing to absorb the information before he responded. "I did back away. I'm sorry for that. I can see how that might not have set the best foundation for us," he said slowly. "I was terrified of you not being in my life anymore. Having you around in less of a capacity than I wanted was safer than failing in our relationship and alienating you. I wasn't entirely wrong about that."

"No. You weren't." Paige swallowed, straightening up and resting her hand on his cheek. "Walter, I'm sorry too. I know I've said it already, but I really, really am."

They looked at each other for a moment, and then he leaned forward, their lips meeting softly at first. They'd kissed a few times since the night in her office, but they hadn't been alone, and it wasn't long at all before the kiss intensified and Paige had to break it to readjust, swinging her leg over Walter's to straddle his lap. His hands slipped underneath the hem of her top and Paige shivered, his touch extra powerful against her bare skin after so long. She wanted more, more closeness, more heat, and she fumbled with his buttons, groaning as she felt his reaction beneath her.

"Paige, stop."

His hands were on her shoulders, holding her literally at arm's length, and it took a second before her haze cleared enough for her to think straight. "What's wrong?"

Walter looked down, his breathing heavy, and Paige fought another irrational surge of doubt. He wanted her, physically, there was no question of that. But there was more to sex than the physical. "Y-You said I didn't satisfy you. When…" They both knew when. He trailed off. "You didn't mention this, specifically, but that word is often associated with sexual pleasure or, or lack thereof—."

"Hey, hey," she whispered, cupping his face with her hands. "I wasn't unsatisfied. About anything. That was me lashing out. But even if I was, not about this. Never about this."

He exhaled again, his shoulders relaxing as she stroked his cheek. "Are you sure?" he asked tentatively. "We agreed to do things differently this time. If there is something you would like me to change—."

"Walter." Her left arm slid around his neck as she pushed her opposite hand up through his hair, holding him as close to her as possible. "If I want anything, it's to hear you say it."

He nodded against her shoulder. "I love you, Paige."

"I love you too. You don't know how much," she said, brushing her lips against his cheek. "Now please take me to bed."


	9. Starting Over

**Wasn't expecting to take a three-week break on this story, but work got insane and after writing all day I just couldn't bring myself to come home and do it. But I have lots of ideas left for this story and I appreciate everyone still turning out regularly. It means a lot, and it's very helpful. You often see my own story from a different perspective than I do and it helps me write with a much more rounded viewpoint. So thank you as always.**

 _Cabe's not much of a talker. He's focused, that's all. Maybe he's tired. Maybe something happened with Allie and he's distracted._

Paige ran through the laundry list of reasons again why Cabe hadn't spoken a word since they'd sat down ten minutes earlier, but each one felt hollow even as she tried to convince herself that his silence wasn't purposeful. His eyes were trained on the monitors in front of them, but it wasn't difficult to see that his focus was superficial at best.

"Cabe," she said to break the silence, her voice coming out slightly irritated. She shook her head. "Sorry."

The agent frowned, tilting his head in her direction for just a second before returning his eyes to the security footage. "What's up?"

"Walter said we might be here for a few hours."

"Yeah, I know," he grunted. "Guess I'm heating up a TV dinner tonight."

Paige sighed, feeling at a loss for words for what felt like the millionth time that week. It was their first case back together, as Scorpion proper, and she was starting to wonder if maybe they'd rushed things. It had only been four days since they showed up to the garage, and in her distraction handling Sylvester's efforts to avoid Florence and Walter as much as possible, she had only just realized that she and Cabe hadn't spoken.

He didn't seem eager to. Perhaps Walter's assurance that Cabe didn't harbor any animosity toward her was mistaken. He wasn't all that perceptive toward other people's true feelings.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'd rather not spend the rest of the night in silence," she admitted haltingly, rubbing her palms nervously against her jeans. "Can we talk about the weather or something?"

Cabe gave her a strange look. "It's California. It's sunny. Every day."

So much for the roundabout approach. "Fine. How's Allie?"

"She's good. In Texas for some conference." He paused, pressing his lips together. "Paige, is there something particular you want to talk about?"

"I guess. Yes." Paige kept her focus on the screen, partly because their mystery saboteur could appear at any second, and partly because she was afraid of looking at his face and seeing disappointment. "I want to apologize. For everything I said and did. You're acting differently around me than before and it's…I don't know. It sucks, honestly."

"Ah." Cabe sank back into his chair, quiet for another long moment. "I am happy you're back, you know. All of you. If I'm acting differently, it's not because of that. I just…" He blew out a heavy breath. "Watching you walk out hurt, Paige. Felt like losing another daughter. And seeing Walter fall apart piece by piece for a month wasn't a picnic either. I want things to be good again too. Just not sure how to get there."

Paige swallowed, the image of Cabe comforting a broken Walter almost too much for her to bear. She'd seen glimpses of it when they ran into each other in clients' offices, when he dropped Ralph off, in the brief eye contact she allowed herself, but she refused to process it then. Refused to acknowledge that maybe she had burned everything to the ground for no reason.

She nodded. "I wanted you to come with us. I was walking away from Walter, not from you."

"I wasn't going to leave him."

"I know. I know that. That's why I didn't ask." Paige bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm just saying that it was nothing to do with you. You mean a lot to me, Cabe. That hasn't changed."

"I can't help it. I'm protective of Walt. When someone hurts him, they might as well be doing it to me. I'm sure you get that feeling with Ralph."

She couldn't argue with that. When Patty had turned Ralph down, even as gently as she did, Paige thought her own heart was crumbling in her chest.

"But you mean a lot to me too," he continued, reaching over tentatively to rest his hand on her back. Paige was surprised how reassuring that small gesture was. "I guess I'm just cautiously optimistic. Hoping things stick together now that everything's in the open."

"God, me too." She blinked, her eyes starting to burn. "I'm so anxious all the time, Cabe. Anxious that any stupid little thing is going to make this all come crashing down. Anxious that I'm going to lose it again and there won't be another chance waiting for me. Anxious that I won't be able to stop pushing everyone away when things get difficult."

Cabe cleared his throat, rubbing her back gently. "I think you were heartbroken. And that dictated your reaction. But now you know the triggers and you can address them, right? Anticipate them and handle them differently."

"That's what Walter and I agreed to do."

"Good." In her peripheral vision, she saw his small smile. "I don't think I ever actually saw Walt happy until he met you. That kid loves you so much. I hope it's the same on your end, I really do."

There was no objective way to measure love. That was probably one of the reasons Walter had denied its existence for so long. She wasn't in his head, in his heart, she couldn't know exactly how he felt about her. But she knew what she felt, and it hadn't abated one iota while they were separated.

"It is. I think that's why I was so extreme. Because getting hurt by him felt a million times worse than being hurt by anyone else."

"I know," he said sympathetically. "Take my advice, kid. There's no such thing as a relationship without problems. Grab as much happiness as you can and when you hit a bump—you'll hit a lot of bumps—just hold on to that and fight like hell."


	10. Overtime

**Fic has…been a struggle lately. Partly because I'm writing so much at work, and partly because no new episodes = no new inspiration. That said, if I write literally nothing else, I'm determined to finish this story eventually because I have too many plot points in mind to rush toward the ending. Thanks as always for your continued support.**

" _Walt._ "

The genius blinked, recognizing both Happy's voice and the tone that suggested it wasn't the first time she'd called his name. He stopped typing, shifting his laptop to the side and looking up. "What are you still doing here?"

He'd thought everyone was gone hours earlier. Paige was having dinner with friends, closer to her apartment than the garage, so Walter had somewhat reluctantly accepted her not staying over for the first time in nearly a week. Ralph was helping Sylvester prepare for an alderman presentation and when Toby had slipped out, blathering on about some ridiculous film he couldn't wait to see, Walter had naturally assumed Happy was right behind him.

"I have a strict No Nicholas Cage rule," she explained, a small frown appearing on her face. "Did you really not hear me banging on metal for the last fifty-seven minutes?"

"No. Sorry. I guess I was wrapped up with, uh…" He tilted his head toward the screen.

Happy glanced over his shoulder, frowning more deeply. "You're making mistakes. You're tired." She gave him a knowing look. "Go to bed, Walt. You look like hell."

Walter exhaled, rubbing his face with his palm. He had no concept of his appearance, but she probably wasn't far off. When the team was apart, he'd stayed awake at night out of frustration and guilt and the pain of wanting something he wasn't sure he would ever have again. Those feelings were at least mostly resolved, but Scorpion's reunion hadn't given him many more opportunities for rest. His priority was spending every possible moment with Paige and Ralph, making up for the time they'd lost together. But when that wasn't possible, or after Paige fell asleep next to him, Walter had been fighting his drowsiness. There was too much to do.

"I will. I just need to get this done in…" Walter glanced at his watch. "The next three hours."

"Get what done?" He kicked himself, knowing he'd let too much slip. Happy tugged the closest chair over to his desk, dropping down and raising an eyebrow. "You're freelancing, aren't you?"

He nodded.

The mechanic pressed her lips together. "I thought Scorpion 2.0 did okay."

"W-We did. Considering." Walter shrugged. "I don't have the, uh…the t-talent that Paige does for booking jobs. Or for maintaining relationships. And Centipede is….w-was a force to be reckoned with."

"But you had Homeland."

"Carson keeps finding new and innovative ways to avoid paying us, if he hires us on at all."

He could recognize the discomfort in Happy's expression, though he hadn't said it to inspire guilt on her part. "How bad is it?"

"N-Not, not bad. Just…more than our upcoming jobs will cover. Freelance corporate work pays fairly well. I'll be out of the crunch soon enough." They sat in silence for a minute, and then Walter shook his head, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Forget I said anything. This isn't something that should concern you."

"Yeah. It is," she rebutted, rubbing her fingers nervously over the knuckles on her other hand. It was rare that he saw Happy this unsettled and he wasn't sure what to say. "We asked for a stake in Scorpion. That means something. I've always pushed for more say, but I wasn't always willing to sacrifice for the company the way you do. I get that now."

"You can't—."

"Not done." Walter stopped, amused that he'd missed her bossiness so much. "We're all owners in Scorpion now, which means we share the burden. If you want to freelance, fine, we all will."

"It's not fair for you to shoulder the consequences of my poor business acumen."

"You're only in this position because we left," Happy said with a scowl. "I'd say there's plenty of _not fair_ to go around but I'm not really interested in rehashing that. Will you, for once, stop being such a stubborn idiot and let us help you?"

He'd promised things would be different if they came back. Ignoring Happy's advice had rarely produced a good outcome. Not to mention that the fatigue of working around the clock was starting to catch up to him. "Fine. We can discuss it further in the morning."

"There you go." Happy stood back up, slapping his shoulder a little harder than seemed strictly necessary. "Toby and I won't get here til ten. As a favor to you, of course."

He opened his mouth to protest, but the door was already clanging shut behind her.

* * *

Paige toed off her boots, padding quietly over to Walter's bed. She'd checked her phone three times, surprised that he could actually sleep as late as eight in the morning, but happy to find him that way. He hadn't been sleeping much and she couldn't always talk him out of working on his coding projects until three a.m.

What if he was sleeping soundly because she hadn't spent the night? Was her presence making him so anxious he couldn't relax? In his song, she was a safe place, a haven for his chaotic brain. It was hard to see how she could still fill that role after everything she'd put him through.

Paige halted her negative train of thought and slid beside him, propping herself on her elbow. She didn't always get to watch him sleep, since he was typically awake much earlier than her. But she'd always found the slow rise and fall of his body soothing. Even more so now, after all the mornings she had woken up alone and incredibly lonely.

Her fingers drifted lightly through his hair, and her momentary doubt evaporated when he smiled in response, his eyes still closed. "Hey."

"Hey." Paige scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. Their bodies were still separated by the comforter—her above it, him under it—but it didn't seem to matter as he shifted to his side, wrapping his arm around her waist. "You're sleeping late."

"Mm. Yeah. I had trouble falling asleep without you here." She felt herself grow warm, unsure if he'd intended to be romantic or if he was simply stating a fact. "How was dinner?"

"Good. I didn't love coming home to an empty apartment, though," she confessed. It reminded her too much of the weeks after she left, when her bed felt cold and Ralph was treating her like she'd set an orphanage on fire.

Walter didn't say anything, just tightened his grip and kissed the top of her head. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until voices downstairs signaled that Cabe and Allie had arrived and Paige sighed, reluctantly extricating herself. "Time to get up."

"I'd rather not."

"I know," Paige said with a smirk, swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress and smoothing her shirt. "But I have a surprise I think you can get excited about."

She wasn't planning on telling him until later, but knowing Scorpion, _later_ could involve any number of unpredictable events and besides, she didn't want to wait. Paige rummaged through her purse, plucking out an envelope and bending the flap open.

"It's been sold out for months, but Jackie and her husband can't make it, so she gave me the tickets," she explained, handing them to Walter as he sat up against the headboard. "There's a meet and greet with the panel afterwards. At least, for people with VIP tickets, which we have."

He stared at them, his expression blank, before handing them back. "No. T-Thank you."

That…wasn't the answer she expected. "No?"

"You'll be bored."

It wasn't meant to be a stab, but it felt like one anyway. She replaced the tickets, debating for a few seconds in her head before she decided that the only good option was honesty. "Okay. Yes. Probably." Paige reached out, wrapping her fingers around his palm to reassure him. "Look, I know what I said last time. And I'm sorry that you overheard that. But I knew I was going to be bored then, and I didn't care. I still would have rather gone and been bored out of my mind than watch you go with someone else."

Guilt shadowed his expression, and she kept on, not interested in hearing him fumble through another apology about his deception with Florence. "Walter, what I'm saying is that doing something you don't enjoy because it makes someone you love happy is its own reward. Especially if it's mutual. I love when you're excited about something, even when I don't get it. And I don't want to avoid doing things together because we're constantly worried the other person is miserable. Then neither of us will enjoy anything."

Walter considered her proposal, finally nodding. "What do you want to do?"

"What?"

"If w-we're going to the panel discussion, we need to do something you want to do."

"Oh. Um…" Paige shrugged. "There's a comedy festival next Friday?"

"I won't understand any of the jokes."

She leaned over, grinning as she gave him a quick peck. "Great. Then we'll be even."


	11. Brothers

**I won't make any excuses. It's very likely that finishing this fic will take me at least a couple more months, and for everyone who has stuck it out so far (a surprising number of you), thank you so much for your patience and continued support. Now that I can't devote as much time to writing, it's been a hard debate between putting everything I wanted into this story and wrapping it quickly. I think the reality will be somewhere in the middle. But wherever this fic ends, I can promise that it will be happy and hopefully satisfying.**

 **I've been putting this chapter off for a while because I'm not sure it's the most canon representation of Sylvester. But I find him hard to write and I've sort of ramped them up to this point, so I have to get them out of it. Be kind. :)**

"You did an excellent job today, Sylvester."

The younger man nodded, wrapping a computer cord around his hand and securing it with a plastic tie before placing it neatly inside his backpack. Walter hadn't said so just to break the silence—keeping his bearings while locked inside a waste treatment plant rightfully earned Sly some commendation—but it had been almost seventeen minutes since the mathematician had spoken and their equipment was only sixty-four percent repacked.

In fact, Sylvester hadn't said a word to him that wasn't strictly related to the case at hand in several weeks. He seemed more or less at ease with the former Centipede team, and there appeared to be no ill will between him and Cabe. Perhaps some residual awkwardness with Florence, but they were acting civil enough. Before receiving EQ lessons from Paige, Walter probably wouldn't have recognized that anything was off between them at all.

Which made it more difficult to accept Sylvester's cold demeanor towards him. Paige had assured him on multiple occasions that his friend—his brother—simply needed time, but she never specified how much time. He was well aware that everyone handled emotional situations differently, but Walter couldn't help but feel that he was supposed to help the process along in some way.

He cleared his throat. "Y-You're still upset with me. That much is obvious. I thought I'd adequately expressed my regret for what I said, but perhaps I haven't. So allow me to—."

"It's been a long day," he interrupted, continuing his methodical cleanup as if it was exponentially more important than their conversation. "Could we do this another time?"

"Gladly. Do you have another time in mind?"

The look on Sylvester's face made it clear that he didn't appreciate Walter's attempt to set a mutually acceptable appointment. "I don't think I can schedule it. Sorry."

Sly's dry tone made him bristle, and Walter snapped his laptop shut a little harder than he intended, tightening his fingers around the case. "I don't understand. Y-You agreed to return to Scorpion. Everyone else has forgiven me. Why haven't you?" He curled his bottom lip, not feeling entirely in control of his emotions or words at the moment. "W-What did I do that made you so angry? I wasn't involved with Florence. I've apologized repeatedly for lashing out at you. If there's some transgression that I'm not aware of, I'd love to hear it."

"You can't even let me have this, can you?" Sly snapped, shaking his head.

"Have _what_?"

"I-I told you that I needed time, Walter. I can't even be angry for myself? That has to be all about you too?"

The genius fell silent, not sure what answer he'd expected, but knowing it wasn't that. "This isn't about me."

"Of course it is. It always is." Sylvester blew out a hard breath. "Y-You already had Paige. I thought that was what you wanted."

Walter frowned, unsure of how Paige fit into the equation. "It was. I-It is."

"Then why Florence? All you talked about for three years was Paige. And then as soon as you had her, you were dreaming about another woman. Y-You took every opportunity to be alone with her. If you had feelings for her, maybe I could've actually understood that. But you didn't. Married to Happy, dating Paige, practically dating Florence...it's like you weren't satisfied until everyone was revolving around you. Forget the rest of us, right?"

"I wasn't aware of Florence's feelings," Walter rebutted reflexively. "Do you think I would have actively encouraged them? I-I wasn't interested in—."

" _I know_. That's what you keep saying. But you did encourage them." He shook his head again. "I don't blame you for Florence's feelings. I know you couldn't _make_ her do anything. But you had no problem stomping on my feelings. Or Paige's. Or Florence's, for that matter. Because you were doing whatever you felt like at that exact moment."

The genius swallowed. "I didn't set out to hurt anyone, Sly. I didn't think—."

"Exactly. You didn't think. You didn't think about how any of us would be affected until someone told you that you were going to lose Paige." Sylvester flexed his knuckles into the chair, looking much less like the anxious mathematician Walter was used to and more like he'd been near the end of Megan's life, the last time they were at odds. "I don't want to call you selfish. You risk your life all the time for people you don't even know. But when it comes to the team, you take us for granted. And you say you won't, but you always do. N-Now everyone's back and you want me not to be mad because everyone else forgave you? It doesn't sound like anything's changed."

Well.

He had asked.

Walter bit his tongue—maybe a little too late—and focused his attention on ensuring that they hadn't missed anything in the makeshift command center. The resulting silence lasted barely a minute before Sylvester cracked it again, his voice softer. "I-I'm sorry. I told you I wasn't in the best place to talk about this."

"No, I'm…" _I'm not entirely sure you're wrong._ Intentions didn't always matter when they actions themselves caused someone pain. He'd finally begun to realize that when Paige opened up about his contributions to her insecurity. It was easy to hide behind the excuse that he was unaware of Florence's feelings and didn't harbor any of his own. But Sylvester was right about one thing—he hadn't considered the impact on anyone besides himself until it became clear that he could lose everything over one stupid mistake.

Sure, he'd suffered the consequences. But so had everyone else.

"I didn't know you saw me that way," Walter finished quietly. He couldn't completely identify the feeling pooling in his chest, but it wasn't a good one.

"I see you a lot of ways, Walter. I-I saw you as a friend. A brother. Someone who took me out of a dark place." He sighed. "But at least at Centipede, I felt like an equal. P-Paige respected our opinions and showed us appreciation. Not just when she had an epiphany, but all the time. I came back to Scorpion because I miss making an actual difference. And I didn't want to be the reason everyone else couldn't return. But I won't say I don't miss that."

"You turned down my offer of a share in Scorpion."

"Yes. You know how I am with money. It's not about that." Sylvester shrugged, fiddling with the strap on his bag. "I know I'm young. A-And I have my phobias. Maybe it's not always easy to take me seriously, but what you said that night makes me think you never will. I don't know if I'm okay with that."

Not for the first or last time, Walter wished that Megan was there to tell him what to do. Sylvester had always listened to her. She would know how to fix this.

On the other hand, maybe it was better that she wasn't able to see how he'd botched everything. He hated disappointing her.

"I respect you, Sylvester. O-Of course I do. I may have lashed out because everything was crumbling, but losing the team has…h-has made it very clearly how much I need all of you. I value your contributions in the field and I value your friendship."

The younger man made a frustrated noise. "You don't understand what I'm saying, do you? Y-You realize you need us now, but you've said that before. Several times. How often will you have to learn that lesson before it sticks? How many times will you refuse to listen because you assume you know better, and then ask for our forgiveness when it blows up in your face?"

They stared at each other for a long moment, and Walter opened his mouth to reiterate his earlier apology when Paige's voice halted his thoughts. _I don't need a solution, Walter. I just need you to listen._

He was doing exactly what he was being accused of, wasn't he? Dismissing Sylvester's concerns without really considering their validity.

Walter took a deep breath to counteract the adrenaline. He'd promised the team that things would be different if they returned. It was time to act on that. "I-I don't…I don't know. And I wish I could say that I won't do that again, but we both know I probably will." The genius bit the inside of his cheek, noting the slight shift in Sylvester's body language that indicated he was receptive. "I do always think that I'm right. Sometimes that saves people's lives and sometimes it ruins everything and I have no way of knowing which outcome it will be, and that scares me. S-So I'm asking you to be patient while I figure it out. All I can promise is that I'll try and listen to you more. All of you. And show you the respect you deserve all the time, not just when I'm wrong."

Sylvester nodded, his mouth curving not quite into a smile, but close. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"I hope you will."

* * *

"Hey. The app says our food will be here in ten minutes."

Walter snapped out of his train of thought, offering Paige a distracted smile. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" She stepped behind his desk chair, smoothing her hands over his shoulders and into his hair. He closed his eyes, leaning back into her welcome touch. "You've been really deep in thought since we got home."

A part of his brain latched onto the fact that she'd referred to the garage as _home_ , but that wasn't his most pressing concern at the moment. He looked up and over his shoulder at her. "Y-Yes. I've been thinking about something Sylvester said."

"O-kay," she said slowly, moving to sit on the edge of his desk so she could face him. "Are you guys alright? Happy said she heard some…raised voices."

"I think so. Or hopefully we will be. I'm working on it." Walter pressed his lips together. "But I was actually thinking about what he said about you."

Paige raised an eyebrow. "You talked about me?"

"Specifically about your, um, management of Centipede. You really made the team feel appreciated. You were a good leader."

She looked a bit uncomfortable. She always did when Centipede was mentioned, but now that it had merged with Scorpion, he didn't see much sense in dwelling on its brief existence. "Walter, I…"

"I have the highest IQ, which makes me a good leader on cases. Perhaps not always outside of them," he admitted. "And you've often taken the lead when I was incapacitated. Quite well. You've saved our lives on a number of occasions."

"Thank you," Paige said with an amused smile. "But I don't know where you're going with this."

"Oh. Right." Walter cleared his throat, reaching out to take one of her hands in his. "In a very roundabout way, I'm trying to ask if…well…you'd like to run Scorpion with me."


	12. Negotiation

**I mentioned this in another story, but in case you missed it, I'm still welcoming responses to my poll. Basically, I'm relying on you to decide Florence's fate in this story, so if you have an opinion, please vote! Poll is available at the top of my profile page. Thanks to everyone who contributed so far.**

" _I'm trying to ask if…well…you'd like to run Scorpion with me."_

"You're kidding."

Walter frowned at her blunt response. "I think you're more aware of my capacity for humor than that."

Paige blew out a breath, feeling that shaky sense of disorientation people felt when the conversation they were in took a turn they hadn't been prepared for. Of course he wasn't kidding—his attempts at humor were never delivered with a straight face and always sounded like they came out of a third grader's joke book—but that didn't make his question any less difficult to process.

"Walter…" she started hesitantly, squeezing his hand as she scrambled to assemble her thoughts into a coherent sentence. "Where is this coming from?"

She could tell from his bewildered expression that the answer was much clearer in his mind than in hers. "I told you, I was speaking with Sylvester and—."

"And you just decided to give up half your company? Babe, I really don't think you're thinking this through."

"Of course I'm thinking it through. All I do is think." He looked at the desk and then back up to her, brows furrowed. "I-I thought you would be amenable to the offer. You said that running a company wasn't your dream, per se, but you expressed a strong desire to help Scorpion succeed."

Paige chewed on her lip, slipping her hands out of his to clear her mind a little. Changing the subject or deferring until later was tempting, but out of the question. They'd promised to talk openly about everything, because the alternative was ending up right back where they started. "I know. And I'm behind you, Walter. As your liaison. What more could I do beyond that?"

"B-But that's my point, though. Paige." He straightened up in his chair. "You saved Scorpion when I couldn't make it work. And when you were running Centipede, I struggled more than I would like to admit. This team was my vision, but you're the one who makes it successful. I think you were always my partner, it just…wasn't official."

She blinked, her eyes starting to warm and moisten. Paige wiped them quickly with the back of her hand, a little embarrassed how touched she was by his words and how ashamed she felt every time he mentioned Centipede. She'd taken so much from him, and he was showing trust in her now that she wasn't sure she could manage if the situations were reversed. "But we held back on being together for so long because of Scorpion. Because you knew that if things went bad with us, it would destroy Scorpion too. And you were right. It was only temporary, this time, but who knows where we would be if you hadn't come back to my office that night? What if you really had been harboring feelings for Florence and wanted to date her? Things would have worked a lot differently."

"But I didn't."

"I know. Trust me, Walter, I know that now. My point is that our relationship and Scorpion are linked whether we like it or not. And we've already seen the damage _one fight_ can do. How much more complicated will the fallout be if I'm part owner? Is that a chance you're willing to take?"

The genius was quiet for a long moment, no doubt processing her words. He sighed, his lip curling under as he avoided her eyes. "You don't think we're going to make it, do you?"

 _Crap._ Walter's understanding of relationships was still limited, and they weren't on solid enough ground yet for him to distinguish her playing devil's advocate from her just wanting out. "Hey," she said quietly, placing her hands on his face and tilting it up to her. "I love you. So much. I want us to make it more than anything. But we can't predict the future. And because I love you, I want to make sure I don't hurt you like I did last time. So we have to decide if we're willing to live with the worst-case scenario, no matter what we do. Do you understand?"

He nodded, and she let go, lacing her fingers with his again. "I-I can't…I can't imagine a future in which this fails again. Permanently. I know that the smartest course is to anticipate and plan for all outcomes, but I…I d-don't know how to do that in this case. Thinking about it is…"

"Painful. I know. I'm really trying to make this work, and I know you are too. But last time, we assumed everything would be fine. We thought all those problems that kept us apart were gone, and they weren't. So if there comes a day when…when I leave again…or when you leave me…" Paige swallowed, pushing down the uncomfortable tightening in her chest. Staying away from the difficult conversations had been easier, before, but it had also kept them from moving forward. She hadn't even seen it until it was over. "Things are going really well right now. We're both happy. But we definitely haven't fixed all the issues in a couple of weeks that we couldn't in four years. So maybe we should wait until we get through our first rocky period. We'll have a better idea if we're strong enough to make a bigger commitment then."

Walter stood, and she did too, assuming that signaled his agreement and the end of their conversation. Instead, he placed his hands on her waist, his fingers flexing lightly into her skin. "I've wasted a lot of time worrying about what could happen between us. Waiting for all of the circumstances to be perfect so we could be together without any risk. I don't know that it made any difference in the long run. I still made a mistake and lost you and the team." He shrugged. "I-It was my worst fear and it happened. And we figured it out anyway. We're still here. Our history proves that we have difficulty keeping our distance from each other. Whatever happens, I have to believe we will find a way. Even if we don't…I don't want to wait anymore. I'll take any form of your involvement in my life, for as long as you're willing to give it."

Paige launched forward, crushing her lips to his. Walter reciprocated eagerly, his arms supporting her back as her fingers rested on his cheeks. When they were forced to break apart for air, she added, "The team has to vote. They get a say in this too."

"And if they say yes?"

She smiled at his hopeful expression. "Then I guess we'll figure it out."


	13. Making Up

**Sorry about the wait. I blame all the usual culprits—tired of writing from my job, lack of ideas due to lack of new episodes, etc. I'd originally envisioned this story to be much longer, but I think the better choice is for me to end it soon. My other ideas can always become one or two-shots in the future. I'm going to try to wrap this up in 3-4 more chapters. Thank you to everyone who has held out as long as you have.**

"How do you feel about it?"

Cabe knew that was meant to be a simple question, with a simple answer. He wished it was. "I think Paige would do a good job."

Allie narrowed her eyes, looking at him expectantly. "But you're not on board."

"I don't know." On paper, Walter and Paige as partners was a great idea. They complemented each other in so many ways and—with the exception of the Florence debacle—brought out the best in each other. Walter had been right when he presented his pitch to the team. She was the only one who could bring his vision for Scorpion to life, even without a genius intellect.

But there was so much riding on it. Too much. "We're in a precarious place right now. We're healing, but...it still feels like any big change could cause things to collapse. You know?"

"Sure. I understand that." Allie sighed, absentmindedly moving her feet from side to side on the coffee table and occasionally bumping his. "How will Walter react if you say no?"

"Probably not great. But it isn't only his team anymore." Cabe shrugged. "I don't even know that I want to say no."

"That's natural, I think. You care about Paige too."

"Yeah. I do. But it's not just that. I…" He bit the inside of his cheek. "Either they stay together and do amazing things with the company, or they crash and burn again and Walter loses even more than he did last time. How can I open him up that? And how can I take it away from him, if it'll be good? I don't have an answer here."

The corner of Allie's mouth quirked up slightly. "Of course you don't, sweetie. No one has an answer for what's going to happen in the future. If we did, there would never be any questions." She tipped her head, resting it against his shoulder. "Besides, Paige...and you, don't forget...are proof that you can crash and burn and still make it out okay."

She wasn't wrong. Cabe had done something unforgivable, even more unforgivable than Paige starting a competing company, and Walter had shown a capacity for forgiveness that still managed to surprise him.

He swallowed. "I don't know what'll happen if I lose them again. It damn near killed me the first time."

"I know." He knew she did. She'd been the one picking up the pieces when Walter's grief and his own just got to be too much and he was staying up all night, trying to figure out a way to keep everything and everyone from falling apart. "And I know you think you should know the right thing for Walter, but sometimes all you can do is support him. He already knows the risks. He's taking a leap of faith. Maybe you should too."

* * *

"Well, that was a doozy."

Happy nodded, her typically impassive expression in place. But beneath that, Toby could tell her mind was in overdrive, even more so than his. He flopped next to her on the couch, loosely draping an arm around her shoulder.

"I vote how you vote. You know that. Scorpion or Centipede or...whatever...you and I are a team."

The mechanic nodded again, pressing her lips together. "Yeah, I know." She leaned back, silent for another long moment before she said, "Paige was a good boss."

"Agreed." Centipede hadn't been without its ups and downs. And it had certainly never felt _right_. But Paige worked tirelessly, lining up more clients than they needed and keeping them plenty busy. That made it easier not to think about how horribly wrong everything had gone. "She's the right person for the job. But…"

"But if she and Walter have another fight, Scorpion might be dunzo for good. And we just got it back," Happy finished.

"Yep."

She picked at a ragged fingernail, scraping at the offending piece with her thumb. "Maybe she'll finally raise Scorpion's rates and we can get un-broke. Freelancing sucks."

That was an understatement. They'd both chipped in with side gigs to get Scorpion out of the hole, but wading through the muck of corporate America was a nightmare. Hence Walter's habit of taking on jobs that saved the world while paying very little.

Stupid savior complex.

"We owe Walt this," Happy said without looking up. "If that's what he wants, we should vote yes."

"I thought we asked for shares in the company specifically so we wouldn't have to do whatever Walter wanted to do."

"Well, yeah, when he's being an unreasonable idiot." She tossed a glare in his direction. "Tell me you don't still feel like a jerk for walking out on him, though."

"You know I do." Sure, Walter was insufferable sometimes. Quite often. But he was also loyal to a fault and they'd responded to his stupid, impulsive decision and resulting stubbornness in an equally stupid, impulsive and stubborn way. "How long till we've made up for it?"

"No clue. I'll let you know."

* * *

"Can I sit here?"

Florence felt a very irrational surge of nerves in her stomach as she awaited Sylvester's response. He looked at her for a long second before he nodded and resumed scrolling on his tablet.

"It's a pretty night," she offered lamely, looking out at the lights that littered the garage's roof. She didn't spend much time up there, at least not on her own. They'd had a few barbecues, which Cabe had mentioned was common practice for them before...everything.

"Mm," was Sylvester's only response. Florence wasn't entirely surprised. They cooperated on missions, acted friendly enough at the garage. Sometimes she would even catch him laughing at her jokes or cracking a smile when she was spiraling and rambling uncontrollably. But they hadn't had a serious conversation, hadn't even been alone since he declared his intention to get over her.

She'd spent a lot of time since then attempting to gauge how that made her feel. She wasn't the type to crave affection if she couldn't reciprocate it. All she had managed to extrapolate was that she missed having him in her life. Florence wished she had something to compare it to, something more genuine and substantial than her brief infatuation with Walter. Something to put her feelings into context so she could adequately explain them to herself and others. Particularly Sylvester. Assuming that her feelings were even still of any concern to him. She wasn't so self-centered to think that getting over her was an arduous process.

"I can hear you thinking," Sylvester said, a welcome hint of amusement in his voice.

She halted her musings, opting not to divulge them until she was more certain. "So...Paige," the chemist said instead, linking her fingers together. "That would be...interesting."

"She would technically be your new boss. One of your bosses, anyway. Would that be weird?"

Sylvester had already worked under Paige, albeit for a short time. Long enough, she supposed, to decide that he was okay with it. "Having Walter as a boss was already strange. I'm used to working alone. I've never been on a team before."

He shifted slightly, offering her a sideways glance. "Was that why you stayed with Scorpion 2.0? Because you liked being on a team?"

Florence bit her lip. She knew—at least, thought she knew—what he was asking. Unlike the other geniuses, she'd had an Option C. She didn't, strictly speaking, have to choose sides. "I felt guilty," she admitted, having come to terms with that particular fact several weeks earlier. "I did...I did like being on a team. But I liked being on the team with all of you. I chose Scorpion 2.0 because my actions had directly contributed to its existence. And it seemed...unfair to tear everything apart and then walk away."

"It wasn't your fault," Sylvester said after a pause. Florence swallowed, unprepared for how grateful she was for the sentiment, even if she didn't necessarily accept it. "I know I made you feel like it was, but...it wasn't."

"I still apologize for the hurt I caused. To everyone. But mostly to you." The words burned in her throat even as she was saying them, but she didn't want to assume that this opportunity would arise again. Bringing up the topic out of the blue had seemed prohibitively difficult. "I can't say that enough."

The mathematician nodded, sounding more resolute than she'd heard him since that night, maybe ever. "I'm sorry too. I know I've been a jerk."

"No you haven't," she rebutted.

He smirked. "Yes, I have."

"Okay, maybe a little." They shared a grin. "But I was really, really oblivious."

"I couldn't expect you to read my mind. I was...I was overwhelmed. And with Megan, it was so easy. She always lead the way. I didn't know how to make the first move. I kept psyching myself out. And none of that was your responsibility, of course." Sylvester toyed with one corner of the tablet lying unused in his lap. "When I came back, I was angry. I'm not even sure at what. I guess I was mostly angry at myself for not being able to manage my feelings. Angry at Walter for...for _stealing_ you when he didn't even have the feelings for you that I did. I know," he added hastily when he caught her expression, "I know that was childish. Everything Walter said about me was true. It was easier to blame him than to accept that."

Florence hesitated, trying to find a way to phrase her next thoughts that wouldn't sound like she was immediately jumping to Walter's defense. "He didn't mean that. I know he didn't. I suppose we all acted childishly that night. But this...this thing with Paige...that started with you. He's trying, Sly."

"Yeah. I know." A comfortable silence fell between them, the sound of late-night traffic all that passed between them for several minutes. "If your offer to be friends again still stands, I would like that."

She smiled, bumping him lightly with her shoulder. "Consider it standing."


	14. Comfort

**Thank you for the comments on the last chapter. It meant a lot to me to know that people are still supporting this story.**

Paige jumped in her chair as the garage door swung open and almost immediately slammed shut. She was on her feet in a second, taking larger than usual steps to catch up to him. "Walter…"

"I don't want to talk about it," he growled, stepping back from her and abruptly changing direction. Paige was on his heels, grabbing his arm as he hit the base of the stairs. He stopped, clearly reluctant but not shaking her off, which she took as a good sign.

"It wasn't your fault," she said softly. "Walter, tell me you know that."

Her heart ached at the look in his eyes. She kicked herself for having gotten tied up at the bank and not being with them...with him...as they'd reached the hotel and realized that some of the guests were already beyond the scope of their help. Scorpion could pull off some truly incredible feats, but they couldn't turn back time.

It hit Walter the hardest. It always did. Even with his IQ, he still hadn't accepted that he couldn't save everyone.

The rest of the team entered the garage, eerily somber and quiet. Walter used the temporary distraction to pull his arm from her grasp, marching up the stairs to his loft. Florence was the first to come forward, stepping close to Paige and keeping her voice low. "I, um, I'd like to...go talk to him. I think I can help. I-If it's okay with you."

Paige ignored the instantaneous queasy feeling in her stomach and nodded, feeling helpless as she watched Florence follow after him.

* * *

"Hey."

Walter was reclining on his bed, propped up against a few pillows, still wearing his clothes from the case all the way down to his shoes. Florence had been in the loft for exactly twenty minutes when she came down and announced that she and the rest of the team were heading home. Paige had given Walter another hour to process the events of the day before going in to check on him. It didn't seem like he'd moved. "You can come in," he said quietly, answering her unasked question.

She padded over to the edge of his bed, placing a hand lightly on his leg as she settled on the mattress. "I'm sorry if it felt like...like I was cornering you earlier."

"No. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I was…"

"I know, Walter. This isn't our first rodeo." Paige bit her lip, wondering if it was the appropriate time to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind. "What did Florence say?"

The genius swallowed, leaning farther back against the pillows. "S-She told me all about the toxin the attackers used in the hotel. How it worked and how the guests closest to the release point were experiencing organ failure within minutes. Long before anyone realized there was a problem."

 _It's not your fault._ She'd said the same thing, but even without confirmation from him, she could already tell that Florence's factual breakdown of the event had been more effective. "Good. I hope it helped."

Walter looked at her curiously and Paige frowned. "What?"

"You're doing that thing. W-Where your words don't match your voice."

Damnit. She thought she'd done a better job of keeping her tone neutral, but Walter had been much more attentive to her nonverbal cues after they reconciled, to an almost irritating degree at times. "Walter, we don't have to talk about this right now."

"So there is something to talk about?"

Paige sighed, wishing Walter hadn't chosen this opportunity to figure out subtext. But she'd lied about this, _exactly_ this, several times before until she erupted and nearly lost every good thing in her life in one fell swoop. However Walter reacted, they couldn't fail as badly as that again. "Fine. I-It bothers me that Florence knew how to help you when I didn't."

"Paige."

"I know that's stupid. Walter, I know." Paige ran her free hand through her hair, searching for a way to explain herself before he had the chance to tell her she was being illogical. "She asked for my okay to talk to you and I gave it to her because you were hurting and when you're like that, I'll do anything to make you feel better. But that doesn't mean I don't hate that I couldn't be the one who _made_ you feel better. It's just one more reminder of how much you understand each other and I don't."

She took a breath. She'd almost run of oxygen. Walter was silent for a long minute until he said, "I thought you understood that I didn't have feelings for Florence. Was I wrong in assuming that?"

 _Don't be a..._ Paige tamped down the words. Although he had an unfortunate habit of always sounding like a smartass, he was being genuine. She'd known him long enough to know the difference. "It's not as easy as that, Walter. I wish that I could shut my negative thoughts and emotions off, but I can't. When we were broken up, all I could think about was how much you and Florence clicked and how stupid I was for thinking that you wanted to be with someone who's so different from you. I convinced myself of that to make it easier to justify leaving and now I'm trying to unconvince myself and sometimes it's a struggle. Especially when something like today happens and my insecurities scream at me that it's proof I'm making a mistake." Another breath. "I don't expect you to understand all of this. I really don't. I'm just trying to be honest."

"I don't understand," he admitted, dropping his head. "I-I'm sorry. I feel like I keep hurting you and I'm not even aware that I'm doing it. That's not fair to you."

"Hey." She squeezed his leg, successfully drawing his eyes back to hers. "People hurt each other without meaning to in every relationship. You can't avoid it. You just try to learn and do better next time. And honestly...you didn't do anything wrong. It's just something I have to learn to manage, okay?"

He nodded. "Paige?"

"What?"

"Just because Florence gave me the facts doesn't mean I'm alright with what happened today," Walter said slowly. "I would appreciate it if you stayed up here with me."

Paige complied without a second thought, needing as much comfort from him as he did from her. He shuffled to the side to give her space, his arm coming around her as she put her head on his chest, both of them settling into the silence.

* * *

Florence hung up the phone, placing it delicately back on the table. It had been immediately clear when Paige answered that she'd done so unintentionally. Or more accurately, her pocket had. Listening was a terrible idea, Florence wasn't great at friendships but she knew that wasn't a thing friends did, but she heard her name and her troublesome curiosity once again got the best of her.

Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was the last piece of the puzzle she needed to answer a question that had been bugging her for weeks. If not divine providence, then perhaps an odd coincidence in the universe that she would be wise not to ignore.

Florence pulled up her email and started to type.


	15. Gone

**If you're mad about the outcome of this chapter and you didn't vote in my Florence poll, I can't help you. If you're mad and you did vote, sorry. It was close.**

It wasn't supposed to be this hard.

In her past moves, Florence's singular consideration had been finding the best place to conduct her work. There were no external factors. Nothing to leave behind...no one she particularly felt compelled to say goodbye to. Certainly no wistful staring at the contents of her desk as she collected them in one open box, like she currently found herself doing.

She had to work faster. The team would be arriving soon. It was already a miracle that Walter and—judging by the purse on the couch—Paige hadn't come down from the loft yet.

Last night had only confirmed what she'd already suspected. The geniuses...Scorpion...Walter and Paige...they were all still healing, and for the moment, at least, she was standing in the way. She sincerely hoped that would not be true forever.

"What are you doing?"

Florence jumped in her chair. There went her plans for a quiet exit. She really needed to pay more attention to her surroundings.

She looked up slowly, simultaneously terrified and grateful to find Sylvester standing over her desk. The chemist suddenly felt like she had an awful lot to say and not nearly enough time to say it. "Sly…"

"You're leaving?" She couldn't quite decipher his tone. He sounded hurt, that much was obvious, but maybe not entirely surprised.

"Yes." Florence stood, resting one hand on the edge of the box and the other on a stack of file folders. "I wanted to tell you first, but I'm...I-I'm not good with...words. As you know."

His silence was somehow more unnerving than anything he could say. "Where are you going?" he finally managed.

"I was offered a research position. At MIT. It's a great opportunity, tons of resources and an excellent team and…" Florence swallowed, halting her rambling before she spent ten minutes discussing the quality of the microscopes. "Anyway. I accepted last night. They were already flexible, giving me a few weeks to think about it."

"Oh," Sylvester said, exhaling loudly. "Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"I wasn't sure I was going to take it," she admitted, nervously tracing the rim of the box with her finger. "B-But it's the logical thing to do. For many reasons."

"I don't suppose there's anything I can say to talk you out of it?" he asked, his tone suggesting that he already knew the answer. The mathematician offered a small smile and it gave her second, third and fourth thoughts within a span of seconds. These were her friends. Her potential family. Maybe more.

Maybe at some point.

"No, not really." Florence chewed her lip, wishing she had a translator of her own for this conversation. "Sylvester, I, um...I-I wish that I could have felt what you felt. You're so kind and smart and fun. And I've been trying so hard to understand t-things, to know...what I want...and I just don't yet. I don't know what purpose telling you this serves, I just thought I should be honest."

Sylvester nodded, the warmth in his expression making her feel comforted and guilty all at once. Megan had known without a doubt that she wanted to be with him. He deserved that again. "I'm really glad that we're friends, though."

"Yeah. Me too." She gave him a hopeful look. "Stay in touch?"

"Stay in touch? Where are you going?"

God, these geniuses really knew how to sneak up on someone. Walter jogged down the stairs, Paige right behind him. They were both wearing the same clothes from the night before and Florence imagined that they'd fallen asleep after talking. She was relieved to find that the thought didn't spark any jealousy within her.

"Cambridge. MIT, specifically. I'll be on the research team there. I start on Monday," she recited, attempting to avoid the same line of questioning she'd just been through minutes earlier. She turned to Walter. "I've greatly enjoyed my time with Scorpion. I can't thank you enough for the opportunities you've given me. A-And the friendship you've extended to me."

Paige stepped forward, reaching her hand out to touch Florence's arm and instantly thinking better of it. "Florence, I'm sorry. I know I haven't welcomed you to the team as much as I should have. If I'm the reason you're leaving..."

Paige was, strictly speaking, one of the factors. But not for the reasons she thought. "It's not your fault, Paige. It's not anyone's fault. It's my decision," she insisted, crossing her arms in front of her chest to try and keep some semblance of control. "You were so generous to keep me on after everything that happened. I didn't want to waste that chance. But this is the right decision for me and...I-I think I need to save the world in my own way for a while."

The liaison sighed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. And I'm only going to Massachusetts. That hardly means we'll never see each other again."

Walter nodded, moving next to Paige and placing a hand on her back almost instinctively. They belonged together, anyone with eyes could see it, and she kicked herself for the thousandth time for contributing to their separation. "If MIT proves to be unsatisfactory, Scorpion will always have a place for your skills," he said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you."

"Wait," Paige interjected. "You can't just leave without saying goodbye to everyone. At least wait until the rest of the team gets here?"

Her flight wasn't until two. And one look at Paige's determined expression told Florence that she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Sure. Okay."

* * *

"Hey."

"Hey." Sylvester shifted to the side to give Paige more room. She put her elbows on the counter, learning forward next to him. "I'm okay," he added, already anticipating her question.

"I know. You're tough." He chuckled. _Tough_ wasn't the word he would use to describe his personality, although he had certainly surprised himself on occasion. "I still feel like this is my fault."

"It's no more your fault than mine. I didn't make things easy for her either." Sylvester still vividly remembered how rude he'd been to her right after Scorpion and Centipede merged, in this kitchen, acting like he didn't care whether she stayed or left. It seemed so petty now. He hated that they'd only been friends again for such a short period, all because he didn't know how to cope with rejection.

But at least they had become friends again. When she'd hugged him, he was grateful that they could say goodbye like that, as friends, not as two people who were barely speaking.

"Love doesn't exactly make you act with a clear head. I should know."

"We're all guilty there." He hesitated, briefly squeezing his eyes shut and opening them again. "Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you do that thing where...where you tell me I'm not going to be alone forever?"

"Oh, Sly," Paige breathed, putting her head on his shoulder. "You're not going to be alone forever. I know sometimes it feels like Megan was it, but you've got a ton of time to meet someone else who will interest you. In her own way. And she'll probably show up when and where you least expect."

"Like you?" He shot her a teasing smile.

" _Definitely_ like me," she laughed. "If someone had described Walter to me ten years ago, I would have thought they were insane."

"And yet…"

"And yet," Paige echoed with a smirk. "Trust me. You'll find your _and yet_ too."


	16. Ready

**It's been very hard for me to decide when to end this story. But I'd rather write a (hopefully) satisfying ending now instead of in six months. My leftover ideas will be going into another fic that's sort of a coda to this one, so keep an eye out for that. I've also got a couple more fix-it stories and an M fic in the works.**

 **At any rate...thank you so much for the amazing support you've given this story. I know you're all still hurting. So am I. But having a community helps, and I hope this has too.**

"You didn't have to come here. We already missed it."

Paige sighed heavily, throwing her purse onto the chair. She'd been prepared for a less-than-thrilled reaction upon her return to the garage, even though she had texted him the second she realized there was no way she would make it back in time. But the frustration on his face was evident from a mile away. "Walter, I'm sorry," she said, closing the distance and moving to rub his shoulder, thinking twice when she felt how tense he was under her fingers. "I know you were excited for the demonstration. You should have just gone without me."

"Last time I did that, you weren't very happy with me," he reminded her sharply.

She withdrew her hand, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she narrowed her eyes. "I really hope that by now, you know that's not what I was upset about."

Walter stared at her for a second, his stubborn expression matching her own, until he shook his head and turned his attention back to his laptop screen. "It doesn't matter. The event ended twenty minutes ago, so your timing is perfect."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The genius clenched his jaw, not looking at her when he said, "You didn't want to come with me. That's fine. I just wish you would have told me instead of making up some excuse-."

"That's what you think happened here?" Paige snapped, cutting him off. "You knew I had plans with Kelly. I lost track of time and I told you as soon as I saw how late it was. Are you saying I made that up to avoid going to your dumb demonstration?"

His shoulders tensed again and Paige instantly recognized the error in her choice of words, even if she was too annoyed to walk them back. "You're right. It was dumb. I shouldn't have invited you in the first place. I just thought we were trying to find middle ground with our interests."

"We _are_. Walter, I was not lying to get out of this date. Frankly, it's pretty insulting that you think I would."

"Wouldn't be the first time you'd pretended to want to do something with me," he said bluntly. Paige opened her mouth and promptly shut it. Damnit, he had her there. Even though he didn't exactly have the moral high ground when it came to their history of lying.

"Yeah, okay, I didn't really want to spend my evening learning about electromagnetism. Any more than you want to spend your evenings watching historically inaccurate period dramas. But I did want to spend my evening with you. Isn't that the point? Because I'm here right now. Do you want to spend time with me, or do you wish I was someone else who was as excited for this as you were?"

Walter finally stood, running one hand through his unruly hair. "What I want is to stop feeling like I'm not good enough for you."

"You think I still don't feel that, Walter? I fight every day not to feel like I'm not good enough for you."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense. Logically, only one of us can not be good enough for the other."

Paige stopped, his factual delivery making it temporarily difficult to process what he'd just said. It clicked a second later and she could see the surprise on his face when she laughed despite herself. "You're right. That doesn't make any sense."

He looked at her blankly before his mind caught up and he chuckled too. "Paige…"

"Walter, I am _sorry_. I should have taken tonight more seriously. I didn't think about how it might...stir up bad memories." She reached out, glad when he allowed her to take his hand and lace her fingers between his. "But I didn't lie. And if we're going to move forward, you can't assume the worst of me. I'm really working on it."

"Y-You're right. I'm sorry. I convinced myself you were doing it intentionally without even talking to you about it. A-And we promised to talk about things." He shut his eyes, his breathing steadying out before he opened them again. "I do want to spend time with you. Doing...anything."

"Good." Paige inched closer and slid her arms around Walter's neck, tilting her head up to look at him. "Our first big fight since we got back together. We talked through it. That's a good sign."

"I don't enjoy fighting with you."

"I know. But maybe if we'd fought more last time instead of holding everything in, everything would have turned out differently." She leaned back, tugging his collar between her fingers as she gave him a suggestive smile. "Plus, we can both definitely enjoy what happens _after_ we fight."

* * *

It wasn't until the lightheadedness hit her that Paige realized she was holding her breath. She exhaled, slightly envious of how confident Walter seemed, as if he knew exactly how the team would decide.

She didn't. In her moment of pain and confusion, she'd torn the team in half and they still hadn't healed entirely from it. But they had made strides. Paige was working so hard to undo the damage she caused. Hopefully, that was enough for Scorpion to trust her with their future.

When Walter had proposed making her co-owner, her agreement had been impulsive. But as she prepared to hear the team's answer, she knew with absolute certainty that she wanted it. She wanted to support Walter. She wanted the team to have a safe place. She wanted Scorpion to become everything she knew it could be.

It was her home, after all. A family and a second chance when she didn't have either. She vowed that she wouldn't forget that again.

"The vote was unanimous," Cabe said, his smile giving it away a fraction of a second early. "Scorpion is now officially Walter and Paige's company."

The new co-owners shared a wide grin before Paige turned back to the team. "I won't let you guys down. I'm determined to keep us together this time, no matter what."

Cabe was the first to embrace her. "Congratulations, kid," he said softly.

"Well, one of you is still going to have to be a liaison because you can't both be the boss in a good roleplay-." Toby made a strangled noise as Happy elbowed him in the ribs. "By which I mean we're very happy for you."

"Me too. It feels good to call you boss again," Sylvester said as he gathered her into a bear hug. He pulled back, giving Walter an uncertain smile. "Both of you."

Walter nodded, the subtle change in his expression speaking volumes.

"Are you sure about this?" the genius murmured a few minutes later, after everyone else had retreated from earshot. "It's not going to be easy."

"Nothing about Scorpion or you has ever been easy," she teased, her voice dropping as it grew more serious. "But I've never felt more alone than when I wasn't here. I don't want to feel that way again, Walter."

"I know. I know what you mean." He slipped his arm around her waist, his hand settling on her hip as he pulled her close to him. "It feels good to be original Scorpion again."

"No," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "It's Scorpion 3.0. Bigger and better than ever."


End file.
